A different kind of pain
by Skovko
Summary: Dean is attracted to a mysterious girl in the audience. She dresses like the other ring rats but she never comes backstage after the shows. He wants her more and more. Their paths cross, nothing is as it seems, and everything goes downwards.
1. The mysterious girl

Dean raised his hands in victory as the crowd went crazy. He scanned the nearest rows and quickly found her. As usual dressed like all the other ring rats. Short skirt, see-through top, fish net stocking, long boots. The only difference was that she wasn't a ring rat. At least not what he knew off. She never made it backstage after a show with the other ring rats although he was always hoping she would. She was fresh meat, someone he still hadn't taken down like most of the other girls, and he would really like to add her to his list.

He locked eyes with her and sent her a sassy smile, hoping she would take it as an invitation. She gave him a half hearted smile back before getting up from her chair and starting to walk away from the ring. She stopped near the door and scanned the room. He wondered who she was searching for. He always thought she came to these shows alone. Maybe he was wrong. He rolled out of the ring and made it backstage.

He searched for his friend Roman and found him outside. He walked over to him.

"Good match," Roman said.  
"Yeah, it was alright," Dean said and nodded.  
"Ready to go in there and pick your flavour of the night?" Roman asked with a smirk.

Before Dean could answer he noticed her in the parking lot with a man that looked old enough to be her father. They were walking towards a car.

"Do you know who she is?" Dean asked and pointed towards her.  
"No man, not a clue. I've seen her many times at our shows but never spoken with her. She never comes backstage like the other ring rats," Roman answered.  
"I wonder why she's dressed like that if she's not interested in getting into bed with any of us," Dean said.  
"Maybe she just likes to be a walking sex symbol," Roman chuckled.  
"She sure does scream sex," Dean said and smiled.  
"So what do you say? Get back inside and find an actual ring rat as usual?" Roman asked.  
"Yep," Dean answered.

It didn't take long for them to find a girl each to hook up with. Plenty were offering as always and it was like a buffet. Just pick and choose whoever they want, fuck their brains out and leave them wanting more. It didn't matter what their names were. The girls chose to offer themselves willingly and they knew what came with that lifestyle although many of them always came back in hopes of more. Some of them had the illusions of maybe getting a relationship with one of the wrestlers. Those were the hardest to get rid off.

Dean had learned a long time ago to never take them back to his place. He either just fucked them in the bathroom or in his car on the parking lot or he went home with them so he could leave once he was done. Tonight's girl only made it to his car. She didn't even make it inside the car. He just bent her over the hood of it and fucked her right there, not caring about anyone might seeing them. He didn't even look at her. His mind was set on the mysterious girl who had left with the old man and it was with her face in mind that he came. He had no idea if the girl bent over his car got anything out of it and he didn't really care. He just pulled out of her, mumbled something she couldn't hear and went inside his car to drive home.


	2. A clear invitation

Dean smiled as he saw her sitting on front row at the next show again. She was always there, silently watching him and the others. What was it about this mysterious girl that intrigued him? He could have any woman in the audience he wanted. Anyone but her - and of course she was the one he wanted. Unreachable. He'd always been up for a challenge.

He raised his hands in the air as he came out victorious. The crowd was cheering him as always. He had been a fan favourite for a long time. He looked at her and decided to give her a clear invitation she couldn't misunderstand.

He rolled out of the ring and went over to where she was sitting. Everyone around her got to their feet at he approached and so did she. He grabbed her behind the head, pulled her close and licked her up her cheek. Everyone roared, screamed and clapped. He still held on tight as he leaned in.

"Come backstage," he whispered in her ear.

Then he let go and walked away, confident that she would be like any other fan, ready to take him up on his offer.

A few minutes later as the audience was starting to clear out, the usual ring rats made their way backstage. His eyes were looking through them, just waiting to see her face. He frowned and felt slightly angry when she wasn't there. He couldn't have made it more clear that he wanted her to come but she hadn't taken him up on his offer. He had never been turned down by a fan before. He ran this show and this place. No one ever told him no.

Someone grabbed his arm and tried to sweet talk her way to get his attention. He shook her off and went outside. There she was, standing and waiting for someone. He decided to walk over to her and give her a piece of his mind.

"I thought I told you to come backstage," he said.

She turned around and looked at him.

"You did," she said.  
"So why didn't you?" He asked.

Before she could answer, a man walked over to her.

"Ready to go?" He asked.  
"Yes," she answered.

Just then the man realized it was Dean standing there.

"Hey Dean, great match. I'm a huge fan," he said.  
"Thank you. Sorry for bothering you like this. I was just talking with... ehm..." Dean said as he realized he didn't know her name.  
"His niece," she quickly said before grabbing the man's arm and leading him away from Dean.

Dean slowly backed away as he watched them leave together.

"Don't go there," a voice sounded behind him.

He turned around and saw Miz standing there.

"You know her?" Dean asked.  
"She's a hooker," Miz answered.

Dean turned his head just to see her disappear with the man in the car.

"She said she was his niece," he said.  
"Well, she had to say something but trust me, she's a hooker, and a damn good one at it too," Miz said.  
"How would you know?" Dean asked.  
"I bought her a year ago. Just went to my car and it was over within a minute. I tell you, that girl knows how to roll her hips like no other. Never had any woman make me cum that fast," Miz answered.

Dean felt slightly angry. How dare Miz talk about her like that? He turned his head again but the car with her in it was long gone. Was she really a hooker? It kind of made sense with the way she dressed. But why would she come here show after show to watch them wrestle? As if Miz had read his mind, he continued the conversation.

"She comes here to pick up costumers. These days it's your fans she goes for. She's a clever one. When you win the main event, your fans will stand up and go crazy. She finds someone who looks like he's ready to celebrate your victory a little more after the show," he said.

Dean didn't feel like finding a ring rat or party anymore that night. Instead he went straight to his car and drove home. He didn't even bother to go inside. He needed to clear his head so he started walking through the night. He couldn't wrap his head around someone that beautiful was just a simple hooker. Maybe she wasn't. Maybe Miz had her mistaken for someone else and she just had a lot of uncles that liked wrestling too. He knew how stupid it sounded and yet he couldn't let the image of her inside his head go.


	3. Swallow the pill

"Have a drink with me," he said and handed her a glass of champagne.

She took it and smiled although she had no intentions of actually drinking it. She knew better than to put anything in her mouth that a customer handed her.

"Cheers," he said.

He watched her closely as he sipped on his own drink.

"You're not gonna drink with me?" He asked.  
"I don't drink actually," she answered.

It was a lie but it was all she could come up with.

"I'll pay you extra," he said.

It was in that moment she knew she had to get out and it couldn't go fast enough. If he was willing to pay her extra to drink a glass of champagne, she knew it was spiked. He was not a normal customer. He was out to hurt her. She put the glass on the table and tried to stay as calm as possible.

"I'm sorry, I think this was a mistake. I better go," she said and smiled.  
"You're not going anywhere," he said and grabbed her.

His entire face went angry in a split second and a sharp pain went through her buttom lip as he split it open with the back of his hand. She stumbled backwards and hit the door.

"I was gonna make it easy on you but you just had to go and cause trouble," he growled as he took the few steps towards her to close the gap between them.

He grabbed her throat with one hand while the other hand pushed a pill into her mouth. He put that hand over her mouth and nose so she couldn't breathe.

"Swallow!" He barked.

She tried holding her breath but after a few seconds, she was forced to swallow. He grinned and let go.

"Good girl," he said.

He pulled her away from the door and pushed her back inside the room. She fell to her knees next to the table and eyed the champagne bottle. No way she was gonna just stay there and wait for the effect of the pill to kick in so he could do what he was planning to do. She heard him walk towards her. She pushed herself back up on her feet, grabbed the bottle, swung around and smashed it straight into his head. He howled in pain as he went down on his knees. She ran past him and pulled the door open with as much force as she could before she took off running.

She kept pushing herself forward but she could feel her feet getting more and more heavy while she was starting to see double. She just had to get somewhere safe where she could crash unnoticed but where could she find a place like that within minutes before the effect of the pill would take over completely and knock her out?

Dean noticed the woman walking towards him. She seemed heavily drunk and he felt annoyed. Just his luck to come across a woman like that when he was in this mood. It wasn't until he came closer, he realized he knew her. She grabbed his shirt as she fell to the ground. He caught her and went down with her, making sure her landing wasn't too hard. She looked up at him.

"Moxley... don't let him get me..." she whispered.

Moxley? How did she know about his old gimmick? He hadn't used that name inside a ring in years. She closed her eyes and her body got heavy.

"Alright, up you go," he said as he lifted her up.

He started half dragging and half carrying her with him while he silently cursed himself for leaving his car at home.


	4. Never forget the name

She opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying in a bed in a room where she had never been before. Her head was hurting like hell but that was the least worry on her mind. She had no idea where she was and that scared her. Her last memory was of her running away from the customer. Did he catch up with her? If he did, why would she be lying in a bed alone, clearly untouched since her clothes were still on?

She heard someone whistling and her eyes immediately went to the open door. No one was there but she could still hear the cheerful whistling coming from somewhere. The whistling turned into humming and she knew it would be a male figure waiting on the other side.

She quietly made her way up from the bed. Her head was pounding more than ever. She took slow steps while keeping a hand on her forehead. She made it out of the bedroom and walked towards the humming voice.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he saw her.

He made his way over to her and put his arms around her while gently guiding her towards the couch.

"My head really hurts," she answered as she sat down.

He walked out of the livingroom and came back shortly after with painkillers and a glass of water.

"Take these," he said.

She looked at him, not sure whether or not to trust him.

"It's just aspirin," he said.

She reached her hand out and he put the pills in it.

"You gotta understand that I was forced to swallow another kind of pill last night so forgive me for not really trusting a strange man with pills this morning," she said.

However, she did put them in her mouth and swallowed them with the help of the water.

"Yeah, about that," he said as he sat down next to her. "What happened?"  
"You tell me. How did I get here?" She asked.  
"You stumbled into my arms out on the street. Told me to not let him get you and then you passed out. I took you back here," he answered.  
"Thank you," she said.  
"So I'm assuming that the one you were running from was your made up uncle from last night," he said.  
"I don't wanna talk about it," she said and closed her eyes.

For a few seconds he just looked at her. Then he reached over and placed two fingers under her chin and let his thumb swipe just below her busted lip. She opened her eyes again and looked at him.

"Look, I know what you are and that's alright. I don't judge you," he said.  
"What I am?" She asked and let out a short, cold laugh.  
"Someone this young and beautiful shouldn't be out there turning tricks on the street," he said.

She pushed his hand away.

"Mind your own business," she mumbled.  
"You kind of made it my business when you asked for my help. And by the way, you called me Moxley. How on earth do you know me by that name?" He asked.

She sighed and leaned back while searching his eyes.

"You don't remember me, do you? Why would you? That was five years ago and I looked a lot different back then. I had short hair back then. You told me to never forget your name," she said.  
"Five years ago. Where did we meet?" He asked.  
"At a party. I was 16 and hanging out with this older crowd. Everyone knew Moxley. They all feared and admired you at the same time," she said.  
"They still do," he said with a smirk.  
"You were a real asshole towards me. Hunted me down for a while, told me that no girl ever said no to the great Moxley and that you always get your way," she said.  
"Jeez, did I hurt you?" He asked.  
"Besides from screaming at my face and grabbing my arms? No," she answered.  
"I'm sorry. I was way more messed up back then," he said.

She sat back up and emptied the rest of the water.

"I already knew who you were. I was watching the wrestling shows and I enjoyed what you did in the ring back then too. I just didn't know that you would bring that evil gimmick into your personal life as well," she said.  
"I don't do that anymore... much," he said and twisted a little smile. "He's still in there though. Sometimes he comes out to play."

She let out a little laugh. He smiled at the sound. She had a cute laugh and he decided in that moment to do anything in his power to make her laugh some more as long as she was around him. Her laugh died out and her face turned serious again.

"So you know what I am. You can say it out loud. It's okay. You got some more questions you need answered?" She asked.  
"How long?" He asked.  
"Almost since that party. With you scaring the shit out of me, I realized I had to get away. Not just away from the crowd but away from everything. I used the crowd as an excuse, drinking to get away from home, slowly turning into my own alcoholic father except for the whole beating up kids thing," she answered.  
"Beating up kids?" He asked.  
"My father used to beat me. Anyway, I went home that night to get another beating as always. Nothing eventful about that. When he finally crashed from his own drunken state of mind, I threw whatever clothes I could fit in my backpack, emptied his vallet of the total of 71 dollars and I left. 16 years old and out on the streets alone. Didn't take many days before I realized you can't get far with that small amount of money so I turned to prostitution. What else was I supposed to do?" She said.

He felt a pain in his chest from her story.

"So you go to our shows and pick up customers?" He asked.  
"I get in for free because the guy selling tickets is one of my customers. He gets a free ride, I get a free pass," she answered.

He sighed. How could she speak of it in that cold tone like it was no big deal?

"I don't just go there for customers. I also enjoy the shows very much. This might sound weird, but wrestling is a way of escaping. I sit like every other fan and just enjoy the show. For a couple of hours I'm just a normal person out enjoying myself. It isn't until it's over that I need to get back to work," she said.

He looked at her and smiled. That part he could understand. Wrestling had been his escape as well when he was teenager before actually starting to wrestle himself. He did a fast count in his head.

"If it has been five years, you're 21 now?" He asked.

She nodded.

"What's your name?" He asked.  
"Sadie," she answered.


	5. Stay for tonight

"Alright, lie down," he said.

She looked at him puzzled.

"You wanna... buy me?" She asked.  
"What? Jeez woman, no! You had one hell of an evening yesterday and I just figured I'd make this day better for you. Lie down and we'll watch a movie," he said.

She lied down. She had to admit it felt nice to be treated normal for once by a man. She was always on guard around them, knowing they only expected one thing from her but Dean didn't seem to be like any other man she had ever come across.

He turned on the TV and the Apple box.

"What do you wanna watch?" He asked as he flipped through his Netflix account.  
"I don't care. You pick something," she answered.

He put on a comedy movie. He didn't care what it was about. He just wanted to hear her laugh some more.

He put the remote control back on the table and looked at her. Her eyes were already on the screen. He crawled down behind her and put his arm around her waist. She immediately tensed up but he chose to ignore it. Soon enough she would realize that he wasn't actually trying anything. It took a couple of minutes before she finally started to relax and he smiled behind her.

They stayed on the couch through out the day, watching movie after movie. She laughed a lot and he just took in the sound each and every time. She had the cutest laughter he had ever heard.

"How does pizza sound?" He asked as he gently caressed her stomach with his thumb.

Her eyes went to the clock on the wall.

"Wow, didn't realize it was this late. I gotta go," she said.

She tried to get up but he held on to her, refusing to let her get up.

"No, you don't," he said.  
"I have to... go to work," she said, knowing how stupid it sounded to say it that way.  
"Stay here. I'll pay you whatever you would have made out there and then some more. Just stay for tonight. You had a rough night yesterday and you shouldn't go out there again," he said.  
"I don't want your money, Dean," she said.

She firmly pushed his arm away and sat up. He rolled over on his back and grabbed both her hands before she chose to get up and away from him. He dragged them up to his chest and placed them there.

"Stay," he said, his tone more demanding than begging.  
"I have to go. I need a shower," she said.  
"You can shower here," he said.  
"I also need some fresh clothes," she said.  
"Tell me where you live and I'll go get it for you while you shower," he said.  
"I can't do that," she said.  
"Or you can just walk around naked if you like. I won't mind," he said and smirked.

She blushed and turned her eyes down to the floor. He lifted up her hands and kissed them.

"Just stay, okay? I mean it. I'll get your clothes for you," he said.  
"I can't let you do that. I live with this elderly woman," she said.  
"And?" He asked.  
"Oh man... okay. She lets us girls stay with her for free. She feels for us and she knows her home is more safe than the streets. She only has one rule. No men allowed," she said.  
"Oh," he said. "Well then, I'll drive you there and wait in the car while you get your clothes."  
"Dean..." She started but he cut her off.  
"I'm not gonna let you say no. We'll go there and get your stuff, get back here and you'll get that cute little butt of yours into the shower while I order pizza. Capiche?" He said.

She looked up at him again. His eyes were so kind. He still held her hands. Something about him made her feel safe and warm and truth be told, she could use one day away from the streets. Her body and soul were hurting after years out there.

"Okay," she said and smiled.  
"Great," he said and smiled back at her.  
"One question though," she said.  
"Shoot," he said.  
"You really think my butt is cute?" She asked and giggled.


	6. Okay

She was sleeping. He could hear it in the way her breathing had changed. More slow, more heavy. He was lying behind her on the couch with his arm around her waist as he did earlier. The empty pizza box was still on the table, the aroma of the pizza still hanging in the air although it was all gone.

He ran through the four options in his head. He could let her sleep on the couch and stay behind her and sleep there too. He could get up, let her lie there and go to bed. He could carry her into bed and go back and sleep on the couch himself like he did the night prior. Or he could carry her into bed and sleep next to her. While weighing his options, he went through the night in his head.

He had driven her to the house where she stayed from time to time. She went inside while he waited in the car. Shortly after the face of an elderly woman had appeared in the window. She was looking straight at him as if she was checking him out. It was clear she did care about these girls. He sent a smile her way and hoped he passed her test.

Shortly after Sadie came back out with a backpack. It was pretty worn out and he wondered if it was the same backpack she had had five years ago when she had left her home at the age of 16. She couldn't have many belongings if she only had that bag.

Back at his place she had asked to borrow a t-shirt to sleep in. He had told her to just pick whatever she wanted in his closet. She had gone to the bathroom to shower while he ordered pizza. She came back out with semi-dried hair and his way too big shirt. She made a joke about actually being more covered up than usual although she was only in a shirt and he had laughed.

The pizza had arrived. They had eaten and watched a couple of more movies. At some point during this last movie, she had fallen asleep, so here he was weighing in on four options. Either way he just wanted to let her sleep. She deserved some peace and quiet.

He got up as gently as he could. Option three. That was the best. She needed a bed to rest and he didn't mind the couch. He gently picked her up. She started stirring. Not a heavy sleeper apparently.

"Ssh, just sleep. You're safe," he whispered.

He carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. He reached for the covers to tuck her in. He looked at her. The shirt had been pulled up by accident, exposing her thong to him. He felt aroused and swallowed hard before pulling the covers over her. Last thing she needed was him trying to get in her pants.

He took a couple of steps away but couldn't move his eyes from her or walk out of the room. He thought it through in his head real quickly. He wasn't sure she was gonna like it but it was his bedroom and he could be a gentleman as hard as it might be. Option four, it had to be option four. He stripped down to his boxers, crawled under the covers as well and put his arm back around her waist where it had been most of the day. He placed a kiss on the back of her head, took in the scent of her hair one last time before closing his eyes.

He grunted and pushed his crotch forward as he started to slowly wake up the next morning. Waking up with a hard on was nothing new but having a female body in front of him while waking up was. He grinded his crotch against her as his fingers gently pinched the nipple they had a hold on. His head started to clear more and more. Something was wrong. He opened his eyes and reality hit him. He had never gotten out of bed so fast. What the hell was wrong with him? Had he been groping her all night in his sleep?

He ran his fingers through his hair in desperation as she sat up and looked at him. There wasn't anger in her eyes like he expected. Instead they just seemed kind of dead.

"It's okay, Dean," she said.  
"No Sadie, it's really not," he said.  
"I don't mind. You've been so kind to me," she said.

His mouth fell open. He reached his hands up to stop her before she said what he was afraid she would.

"I am NOT taking advantage of you or demanding any kind of payment for letting you stay here," he said.

He marched out of the room before she could answer.

He closed the door to the bathroom behind him and turned on the shower. He quickly got out of his boxers and went to stand under the water. What was she thinking? He would not sleep with her no matter how attractive he found her. She wasn't a piece of toy to play with. She had to understand that she was worth more than that. He growled as he looked down and saw his dick still demanded attention. He grabbed it and started stroking himself. He might not wanna sleep with her but that didn't mean he couldn't think about her while jerking off.

He was surprised to see she had set the table when he came back out. She had gotten dressed if that's what he could call it with her choice of clothes and she had made breakfast.

"You didn't have anything else but eggs and toast," she said apologizing.  
"It's perfect," he said and sat down.

They ate in silence. He couldn't remember ever having a woman cook for him and he enjoyed every second of it. He watched her over the table as she focused on her own food. He had to convince her to stay for a while. He had a feeling that he somehow needed her just as much as she probably needed him. He made a silent vow in his head to keep her off the streets for good, now and forever, whatever he had to do to keep her safe.

He cleared his throat and she looked at him.

"I have to go workout this morning. You wanna come along?" He asked.  
"Watching a bunch of sweaty men challenging each other to see who can lift more weights? No thanks, I'm good," she answered.  
"You wanna stay here then?" He asked.

She looked him straight in the eyes as if she was searching for some kind of answer in them to a question she hadn't asked out loud.

"I really would like it if you're still here when I get back," he said.  
"And when is that?" She asked.  
"Around noon. We can go shopping to fill up the fridge so you can cook whatever you like tomorrow morning," he said.

There, he laid it out there without asking or begging. She now knew he was expecting her to stay at least one more night. He kept his eyes locked with hers, just waiting for her reply. She slowly nodded.

"Okay," she said.

Okay. Only one word. Okay. One word that meant more than anything else. One word that made him more happy than she could possibly know. He smiled at her. Okay.


	7. Just friends

"It sounds to me like you're into this girl," Roman said.  
"Not into her. Granted, she's almost perfect to look at but the last thing she needs is someone far more screwed up than herself to get involved with her. We're just gonna be friends and that's it," Dean said.  
"If you say so," Roman said with a smirk.

Dean stopped the car and turned off the engine.

"Look, I told you the whole story because I trust you," he said.  
"I know. Don't worry, I won't be telling anyone else," Roman assured.  
"Not just that. The last thing she needs is for you to tell her you know," Dean said.  
"Dean, it's me. When have I ever been known to make anyone feel insecure around me? I'm a freaking chameleon. I can blend in with any crowd," Roman said.  
"I know but her choice of clothes might surprise you. I don't think she owns anything else," Dean said with a sigh before getting out of the car.  
"Most guys complain about their girlfriend not being sexy enough. You complain about yours being too sexy," Roman chuckled.  
"She's just my friend," Dean said as he slapped Roman across the top of his head.

"Sadie?" Dean called out as they entered his home.  
"I'm out on the balcony," she called back.

He walked through the apartment and saw her standing out there with her back against him. He stopped for a few seconds, taking in the sight of her in the sunshine as she slightly leaned over the railing, her skirt threathening to reveal everything under it if she would bent just a tiny bit more.

"If she's only your friend, mind if I dive in?" Roman whispered.

Dean threw his elbow into Roman's chest.

"You don't touch her!" He hissed.  
"Relax, I was only joking," Roman said and couched.

The sound of a man's cough made her turn around. She walked inside, the question burning in her eyes while she looked at Dean.

"Sadie, this is my best friend Roman," Dean introduced them before continueing. "He's gonna crash here tonight. His car broke down and he's got quite a drive to his home and since we're doing a show tonight, it's just more easy this way."

She nodded her approval. What else could she do? It was Dean's apartment and she was just a guest.

"Are you going shopping with us then?" She asked Roman.

They were walking into the big supermarket. Roman and Dean were chatting as always and didn't notice her fall behind at first. She had stopped at the clothes section where she looked at a dress. As Dean turned his head to look for her, he noticed her standing there counting whatever little money she had on her. Without saying anything to Roman, he turned around and walked back to her.

"You want that?" He asked.  
"Not really. I don't really like the fabric," she lied as she put her money away again before he would notice she couldn't afford it.

It wasn't because it was expensive at all. Supermarket clothes never was. She was just running two dollars short and her pride forbid her to ask Dean for any money. What would he think of her if she did? When it came to men and money, her mind could only go one place and she didn't wanna go there with Dean.

Roman had walked back to them.

"I bet you would look real good in it though. Don't you think so too, Roman?" Dean asked as he shot Roman a look to make him agree.  
"Definately. I bet you'll look really cute in stripes," Roman said.

Dean took it down from the hanger and held it towards her.

"Try it on. Just for fun. You'll let us judge afterwards," he said.  
"Okay," she said as she took the dress and walked towards the fitting room.

There it was again. That one word. Okay.

She looked at herself in the mirror. It had been a long time since she had worn anything with this length. It wasn't even because it was long. It stopped above her knees. She just hadn't worn anything but mini skirts for five years. It wasn't low cut or see-through either but it hugged her breasts really good, making them pop out.

"How's it going in there?" Dean asked.

She pulled the curtain aside and looked at them. They didn't say anything at first as they looked at her, making her believe it didn't look as good on her as she had just thought a second ago.

"Wow..." Roman finally got out, making her blush in the process.  
"What he said," Dean said and gave her one of those sassy smiles she had seen many times in the ring.  
"Yeah, it's pretty but... no, I don't like it," she said as she pulled the curtain again to change back to her regular clothes.

No way she would tell him the truth. She loved the dress and she couldn't afford it. Two freaking dollars short. She only knew one way to earn money and this dress wasn't worth it. Not like she would ever wear it in front of any customers anyway. She left the dress in the fitting room as she walked back out.

"I got this," Roman mumbled to Dean.

Dean nodded and hurried to walk away with Sadie as Roman stayed behind to grab the dress. He quickly ran to one of the cashiers, bought it and went outside to stash it away in Dean's trunk.

"Where's Roman?" She asked once she realized he was gone.  
"He had to use the toilet," Dean lied.

She seemed to believe his little lie.

"Now, about tonight. I would like for you to come along," he said.  
"I don't know," she said.  
"Come on, just because we've suddenly become friends doesn't mean you shouldn't go there anymore. You're still gonna get in for free. You're my friend and friends get in for free. I need my favourite girl in the front row. Who else am I gonna flirt with when I win?" He used his charm on her and she couldn't resist.


	8. Alter egos

It was weird, in a good way weird though, to run around backstage before the show. Dean didn't leave her side and she was grateful for that since she didn't really know anyone. Luckily the guy selling tickets didn't run around backstage with the talents. She didn't feel like having to run into him and explain why he wasn't getting a free ride this time around. Just before the doors opened to the public, he walked her out to the front row. He helped her over the barricade.

"Come here," he said as he took her hand.

He dragged her back into his arms, hugging her with the barricade between them.

"You're my good luck charm," he said with a chuckle before releasing her. "Enjoy the show."

And then he walked off.

Enjoy the show she surely did. As always it was great and she just let herself go with the flow. His eyes found her right away as he entered for the main event, sending one of those sassy smiles in her direction that she had come to know very well. She sent a smile back at him and he winked at her before turning his attention towards his opponent.

Ten minutes later the crowd roared with cheers as he stood victorious as always. She clapped at him and then her mindset went back to where it usually was. She was scanning the room to see who was the most cheerful. She didn't do it on purpuse. She was just so used to doing it that she went on autopilot.

He looked down at her and noticed. No way he was gonna let her do that. He rolled out of the ring and hurried towards her just as she was getting up from her chair and turning her back against the ring. He leaped forward, hanging over the barricade as he grabbed her around the waist. She let out a little yelp as she felt herself being dragged backwards towards the barricade. Shortly after she was being lifted over it and she found herself in his arms as he dragged her with him backstage to the loud cheers of the audience.

She was laughing so much when they finally made it out backstage and he loved the sound of it. He swung her around a couple of times just to keep her laughter going before he finally put her down on her feet and let go.

"You're crazy," she laughed as she looked at him.

"That was wicked," a young woman spoke as she walked over to them.

She stuck out her hand to greet Sadie.

"I'm Alexa," she said.  
"Sadie," Sadie said as she shook her hand.  
"Take care of her for a couple of minutes, Alexa, while I go shower and get changed," Dean said.  
"Will do," Alexa said and smiled.

Fifteen minutes later he came back to see the women were in a conversation on one of the couches. It looked like she enjoyed her time there and it made him smile.

"Ladies," he said as he walked over to them.  
"I love her, Dean. Can I take her shopping tomorrow?" Alexa asked.  
"That sounds like a lovely idea," he answered.

Sadie turned her head and gave him a look he couldn't quite figure out.

"Just a second, Alexa," she said as she stood up, took Dean's hand and dragged him with him.

"What are you doing? I can't go with her," she said.  
"Why not?" He asked.  
"For starters, I have nothing to wear," she answered.  
"Yes, you do. It's in my car," he said and grinned.  
"What did you do?" She asked.  
"Technically, I didn't do anything. Roman did. He bought that dress you tried on today," he answered.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"Why? How about thank you? And because you looked damn good in it," he said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry so much, Sadie. Go tomorrow, have a good day, make a new friend. Just enjoy yourself."  
"But..." She started but he cut her off as he knew what she was gonna say.  
"Don't worry about it. My treat," he said.

He dragged her back to Alexa before she could argue with him.

"You're on, Alexa. I count on you to keep her safe and happy," he said and winked before walking over to talk with Roman.

She talked for a couple of more minutes with Alexa until she had to leave.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow around 11," Alexa said before heading off.

It didn't take long before Miz dumped down next to her. She knew who he was from the ring.

"So how much do you charge for an entire evening?" He asked.  
"Excuse me?" She looked at him wide-eyed.  
"No need to lie to me. I've had you before. Don't you remember?" He asked.

She looked at him, her brain working as hard as it could but no memory of him and her together came to mind. She slowly started to shake her head.

"One year ago in my car. You were amazing," he said.

She wondered if she should thank him for the weird compliment but she just kept staring at him.

"So how much does Dean pay to keep you around all evening?" He asked again.  
"He doesn't pay me. We're friends," she answered.  
"Ha, good one. Alright, if that's how you wanna play it, I'll respect that," he said.  
"Miz please, don't go telling anyone in here about me. Only you and Dean know and I'd like to keep it that way," she said as she placed her hand on his arm.  
"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me," he said and smirked.

That smirk creeped her out.

"What's going on here?" Dean asked.

They both looked up at him.

"Nothing. Just chatting a bit about the past and so," Miz said as he got up.

As he started to walk away, Dean grabbed his arm and stopped him. He leaned in close to Miz's ear.

"Mess with her and you answer to me," he sneered.  
"Really, Dean? It's all good. We both know what she is. No need to pretend to be a protective boyfriend when we both know you're paying to fuck her," Miz said.

Everyone stopped talking and turned their heads as a fight broke out. Roman and a few others hurried towards the two men and pulled them apart. Roman started dragging Dean towards the door as Miz was being dragged in the other direction.

"Sadie!" Roman called.

She jumped up from the couch and hurried outside with them. Dean was in a fury. He was rambling so fast that he didn't make sense.

"Keys!" Roman ordered as he finally let go off Dean once they were by the car.

Dean gave Roman the car keys but he was still fuming as they got into the car. No one spoke on the way home. Roman tried concentrating on driving, Dean let the anger boil inside him and Sadie was scared shitless in the backseat. It wasn't until they finally reached Dean's apartment that he snapped again. He turned his anger towards Sadie.

"This is all your fault!" He shouted.  
"What did I do?" She asked as she stepped away from him.  
"If you hadn't fucked half the town, none of this would have happened!" He yelled as he marched into the bedroom.

She hung her head and walked into the livingroom. Roman stood for a few seconds debating in his head which way he should go until he decided to follow her. She was closing her backpack as he came in there.

"What are you doing?" He asked.  
"Leaving," she answered.

He walked over to her, took the backpack from her and put it back on the floor.

"No, you're not. That's not Dean in there. He's in Moxley mode. It doesn't happen a lot anymore, thank god, but every once in a while Mox sticks out his ugly head. I'm sorry you had to be on the recieving end for that," he said.  
"He scares me, Roman," she said.  
"I know but he'll come down soon enough. Just don't leave," he said.  
"Well, you go stay in the bedroom with him then because I sure as hell ain't. I'm taking the couch tonight," she said.

He sighed and walked into the bedroom. Dean was sitting on the bed when Roman entered. Roman crossed his arms across his chest.

"Are you done?" He asked.  
"Yeah, man, I'm sorry," Dean answered.  
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Roman said.  
"I'll do it tomorrow. I can't face her right now after what I said," Dean said.  
"Unless you wanna spoon with me all night, I suggest that you do. She's holding the couch hostage because she's scared of you and she ain't sharing it with me. And I just talked her out of leaving as well which I shouldn't have had to do in the first place," Roman said.  
"Alright," Dean said and sighed.

Those few steps between the bedroom and the livingroom were hard to take. For each step he took, he felt more and more bad. When he finally entered the livingroom, his heart dropped. She was sitting on the couch all curled up. Arms around her legs, knees against her chest, her head bowed down and hidden. He knew this one was on him. She shivered as he sat down and put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry, Sadie. I didn't mean what I said and I sure as hell didn't mean to scare you," he said.  
"I thought you were different. You were supposed to be different," she said.  
"I know. I'm so sorry. Words can't express how bad I feel," he said.

A few seconds passed. He just held his arm around her, waiting for her to respond. She took a deep breath and lifted her head. There is was again that dead look in her eyes he had seen the same morning when she had said it was okay if he wanted to touch her. It was in that moment he knew he wasn't the only one dealing with an alter ego that would stick its ugly head out from time to time. She was shutting down mentally to keep herself up. He wondered how many men had seen that dead look in her eyes and just hadn't cared about it. Again he felt his heart break for her.

"It's fine," she said as she stood up.

Nothing was fine, he knew that, but he had to take it for now.

"Ready to go to bed?" He asked as he stood up next to her.

She didn't answer. She just walked towards the bedroom and he followed her.

Shortly after he was lying on his back, eyes wide opened as he stared at the ceiling in the dark. She had her back against him. He had no idea what to do. Should he roll around and put his arm around her like last night? Would she even take kindly to that after what had just happened? Or should he roll the other way and have his back against her? Would she think he was still being an asshole towards her then? He let out a small sigh and stayed on his back while he listened to her breathing as she fell asleep.


	9. Forgive me

The bed was empty when Dean woke up the next morning. He could hear chearful voices coming from the kitchen so he chose to walk out there. Roman and Sadie were sitting at the table with empty plates in front of them. He held his breath for a second as he saw her. She was so beautiful in that striped dress. Her eyes were alive and she was laughing at whatever Roman had just said.

She noticed him first. Her smile died and the fire in her eyes was immediately put out. He felt so guilty. Roman turned his head and looked at him too.

"Good morning, Dean," he said.  
"Morning. I see you got the dress out of the car," Dean said.  
"Yeah, I didn't think you would mind," Roman said.  
"I don't," Dean said.

Roman leaned back and put his hands on his belly.

"She's a keeper, Dean. She sure can cook," he chuckled.

She stood up and started clearing the table.

"Take a shower, Roman," Dean said.

It wasn't a request. It was a direct order.

"Yeah, I could use one," Roman said, got up and hurried to the bathroom.

For a few seconds Dean just watched her as she cleared the table for the breakfast he hadn't been a part of.

"Sooner or later you have to look at me," he said.

She put the plates in the sink with a sigh and turned around to look at him.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" He asked.  
"I'm afraid that whatever I say might set you off again," she answered.

He dropped his shoulders and the guilt was clear in his face. He walked over to her. She cringed and tried to back up against the counter. He hated that he had that effect on her. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"It wasn't you. It was Miz. He said some things that pissed me off and once I get like that, I have a hard time coming down again and I lash out at whoever is near me," he said.

He just held her like that until she finally responded and put her arms around him as well. She didn't hold as tight as he would have liked her to but just to feel her arms around him was a thing he treasured. He spun her around and slowly walked her backwards into the livingroom. He dragged her with him down on the couch. They lied there and just looked at each other. He reached up and pulled her hair behind her ear.

"I really am sorry. Forgive me," he said.  
"You gotta understand that I've been around more violence than you can ever imagine. I've experienced more than anyone should in an entire lifetime. I thought you were different," she said.  
"I am different," he said.  
"Only sometimes. When you're Dean, you're different," she said.  
"I am Dean most of the time. I've worked so hard to get to where I am today but sometimes I just snap," he said.

She moved her eyes from his and rested her forehead against his chest.

"I promise I'll work harder. I don't wanna be that guy. He's my past. I feel so bad for what I did yesterday. All I wanna do is make you smile," he said and kissed the top of her head.

He let his hands caress her back and he felt her tighten her arms around him.

"This feels good," he mumbled into her hair.

Everything was quiet as Roman exited the bathroom. For a moment he felt uneasy until he found them on the couch all curled up. Dean looked up and smiled at his friend. Roman signaled with his hands, asking if he should leave. Dean lightly shook his head before finally pushing himself and Sadie up to sit.

"Oh, hi Roman. Didn't hear you come out," she said as she saw him standing there.

Dean got up and found his wallet. He took out his creditcard and handed it to her along with a piece of paper where the code was written. Her jaw dropped and he couldn't help but smile.

"I told you yesterday it was my treat. Buy whatever you want," he said.  
"But... I could just empty your account and run away," she said.  
"I trust you," he said.  
"You're the first," she mumbled.

Before he could answer, the door bell rang.

"Ah, Alexa's here," Dean said as he went out to let her in.

"Hey girl, you ready?" Alexa asked.  
"Just need to pee first," Sadie answered and disappeared into the bathroom.

The moment the door closed, Dean turned to Alexa.

"Look, I need you on board here. I gave her my creditcard. Make her buy stuff. I don't care what it is. Just give her a good time out. She deserves it," he said.  
"Don't worry, Dean. I'm an expert in using money," Alexa laughed.

Sadie came back out.

"I love your dress, by the way," Alexa said.  
"Thanks. Roman bought it for me," Sadie said.

Dean swallowed hard.

"Lucky you. First Roman buys you a dress and today everything's on Dean. Girl, learn to share, please," Alexa joked.  
"Have a good day. I'm gonna drive Roman home but if you need anything, give me a call," Dean said.

Sadie gave him a look.

"Oh right, we never exchanged numbers. Give me your phone and I'll put my number in there," he said.  
"I don't have a phone," she said and looked down on the ground to hide her embarrassment.  
"Oh," Dean said as it hit him.

Of course she didn't. How would she ever be able to afford that?

"But Alexa got my number and I got hers. Call me if you need to, alright?" He said and smiled.

She nodded. Shortly after he watched the two women leave.


	10. Victim gimmick

Dean had just turned off the engine when he heard the sound of his phone. Without leaving the car he looked at it to see a text from Alexa.

 _"S.O.S. She won't buy anything or even have lunch. She claims she's not hungry."_ She wrote.  
 _"Well, make her."_ He texted back.  
 _"How? Put a tube down her throat and force feed her?"_ She texted.

He let out a small laugh when the image of that crossed his mind.

 _"Where are you? I'm coming as backup."_ He texted.

As soon as Alexa answered, he started the car again.

"Ladies," he said as he found them and put an arm around each of their necks.  
"How did you..." Sadie started but the smirks shared between Dean and Alexa gave her the answer to the question she was just about to ask.  
"I'm taking you both to lunch. Such beautiful ladies should always be shown a good time," he said.

He sure was working his charm and it earned him a smile from Sadie which he immetiately returned with one of his own. Shortly after they sat at a little place looking through the menu.

"What would you like?" He asked.

She didn't like mooching off him.

"A salad and water," she answered.  
"No!" He said in a sharp voice.

Her eyes flew up from the menu and towards him. He didn't look angry though so she relaxed.

"Alexa told me all about what a bad girl you've been so far. I told you to buy whatever you want," he said.  
"But I don't want anything," she said.  
"Bullshit. Now I'm not gonna sit here and watch you starve. You order some real food and after that, I'm going with you to make sure you spend some of my money," he said with a smile.  
"But I don't like for you to spend your money on me," she said.  
"See it as payment. The fans loved that I dragged you over the barricade yesterday and basically kidnapped you. You're here by hired to be my personal victim at each show," he said with a chuckle.

Her entire face lit up and it made him feel warm inside. This was the effect he wanted to have on her. To see her happy and carefree was the best feeling in the world.

"So I'm asking you again. What would you like?" He asked.  
"The pepper steak and a pepsi max," she answered.

After lunch he went out shopping with them. She was a tough one to crack but eventually he got her to try on stuff and he bought some of it for her. She was holding back and he only pushed a little but he refushed to let her go home completely emptyhanded.

She yawned and dumped down on the couch as soon as they were back home.

"So this whole victim gimmick. What exactly do I have to do?" She asked.

He dumped down next to her and took her hand.

"Dress like you've always done so you can blend in with all the ring rats. Act scared when I grab you. Let me do whatever I want. And don't be scared for real. I might be a bit rough from time to time but I assure you it's just for show. I won't hurt you for real," he answered.  
"Don't worry about it. I can take a bit of pain. You're gonna tug my hair and stuff like that?" She asked.  
"If I'm allowed to, then yes," he answered.  
"You are," she said as she laced her fingers with his.

He looked down at their hands. Her hand was so small compared to his. He looked at her face again as he heard her breathing slow down. She had fallen asleep. He lifted his free hand and ran it through her hair.

"You're so beautiful. It's a shame you don't know that," he whispered before leaning in to kiss her forehead. "So incredible beautiful."

He moved his head down and gently placed a soft kiss on her lips. How he wanted to give her more, just hold her so tight that she could barely breathe while attacking her entire mouth with his lips and tongue, but he knew he could never do that. She didn't deserve that. Instead he stole that one little kiss from her in her sleep while he secretly dreamed of more.


	11. Favourite girl

"Nervous?" He asked.  
"No," she answered.

He could see in her eyes that she lied. She had had a couple of days to get used to the idea but tonight it was showtime. They had gone over everything he might do to her, just so they were on the same page.

"It's alright to be nervous. Just remember I won't hurt you," he said.  
"I know," she said and smiled.

He pulled her in for a hug.

"You look absolutely sexy in that outfit," he said down in her hair, earning him a giggle in return.

He helped her over the barricade. He couldn't help but stare at her ass as the miniskirt briefly slipped up and revealed her black thong. He felt his dick respond and he growled lowly in annoyance. As soon as she was over, he turned around and hurried to the nearest bathroom before anyone would notice his jeans being a bit too tight.

"Just my fucking luck," he growled as he had locked himself inside and was opening his pants.

He looked down at his dick as if it could communicate back at him.

"Seriously man, what are you thinking? Here of all places?" He asked. "Oh well, might as well get it over with."

He wrapped his hand around it and started moving it at a fast pace. He needed it to be done quickly. He leaned his back up against the wall, closed his eyes and pictured Sadie in his mind. He got the job done within a couple of minutes.

"God damn it, Sadie, you're gonna be the death of me," he said to himself as he washed his hands.

She joined in with the cheers as he stood victorious later that evening. He stood on the buttom rope, eyeing down the front row.

"Eeny meeny miny moe..." He said out loud as he pointed at the several women.

Most of them screamed for him to pick them. He jumped down, slowly starting to make his way towards her. Everyone rose to their feet as he approached.

"My mother told me to pick the very best one and you are it!" He stopped right in front of Sadie with his finger pointed at her.

She shook her head but he just started grinning and nodding. Before she knew of it, his hands were locked around her wrists as he dragged her forward to the barricade. One of his arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her over it while she was screaming "no" and trying to fight her way out of his grip.

"You're my girl now!" He yelled followed by a laugh.

The audience was right there with him, cheering him on which she found weird. Why did they like for a man to treat a woman like this? Her thoughts were being interrupted as his tongue went up her cheek. She pushed him away, just to have him grab her hair and start pulling her with him. Her hands went up, wrapping themselves around his wrist to relieve some of the preasure from her scalp, just as they had rehearsed. Still it hurt though but she knew it would. She had agreed to it and it was alright. She knew he wouldn't hurt her for real. The moment they were backstage, he let go of her hair and she stood up straight.

"You okay? I didn't hurt you too much, did I?" He asked concerned.  
"No, it's all good," she answered and smiled.

He took her hands as he took a few steps backwards towards a table that was standing up against the wall. He sat on the table and pulled her in so she was standing between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"You were amazing out there. Thank you so much for doing this for me," he said.  
"Anytime," she said.

Anytime. Yeah, he could definately deal with that and he was planning on doing it everytime he stepped in that ring. Forever if she would allow it.

"So, let's party," he said.

The ring rats had made their way backstage and the party was ongoing. Sadie and Dean sat next to each other on a couch. She was looking at the women, seeing how they approached the wrestlers they tried to hook up with.

"Which one do you want?" She asked.  
"No one," he answered.  
"Come on, I've seen you look at them and don't try to tell me you've never hooked up with any of them before," she said.  
"I've had a few," he said.

She gave him a hard look.

"Alright, about half of them, maybe more," he admitted.  
"You're such a slut," she laughed.  
"That I am," he chuckled.

He put his arm around her shoulders and leaned in closer to her while they both still watched the women.

"Okay, so at least tell me which one of them was your favourite," she said.  
"Are we really doing this?" He asked.  
"Come on, we basically live together these days and we're friends. Friends share these sort of things," she said.  
"Alright, the blond one over there trying to get into Roman's pants," he said.

It wasn't that she had been his favourite. She just happened to be the last one he had been with. The one where he had cum while thinking about Sadie. That was the only reason he picked her. Truth be told, none of these girls mattered to him and he wouldn't be able to tell one from the other when it came to fucking them.

"Okay, wait here," she said as she stood up.

He grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Where are you going?" He asked.  
"I'm going to get her for you before Roman decides to take her up on her offer," she answered.  
"Don't do that. Sit down," he said.

He tried to yank her back down on the couch but she stood her ground.

"It's alright. You're a pussy magnet and you need to get some from time to time. I'll sleep on the couch whenever you need to fulfill that need," she said.  
"I actually never bring them back home," he said sheepishly.  
"So you go home with her or whatever you do. I don't mind. Just give me the keys to your apartment," she said.

He thought about it for a second and then pulled her down in his lap by force. She giggled as she landed.

"Listen to me, sweetheart. If and when I want one of these women, I don't have any problems getting them myself, but tonight I'm really not interested in anyone but you. I've already told you you're my favourite girl," he said.  
"But you need to get laid," she protested.  
"Not tonight, I don't," he said, thinking back on earlier where he had relieved the pressure himself.  
"Fine," she said and smiled at him.

He wanted to keep her in his lap, just hold her close, maybe do some pleasurable things to her neck, but he knew he shouldn't. He gently put her down on the couch next to him again, cursing his forbidden thoughts far away.

"Looks like you're too late anyway," she said.

He followed her eyes towards Roman and the blond girl as they were disappearing together.

"Oh, what a shame," he said sarcastically.


	12. Exploding

Two weeks had passed and Dean knew he was a lost cause when it came to Sadie. He had thought his feelings would die down once he got to know her better but the opposite had happened. More times than he'd like to admit, he had stolen secret kisses from her when she was sleeping. Nothing serious but he knew he was close to crossing the line.

Every morning started the same way in the shower with her on his mind. How could he start his mornings any other way when he woke up to her every morning? Always seeing those legs and that beautiful face. On the lucky mornings she would have tossed the covers aside and the shirt would be up to her stomach so he could get a good look at her in her thong. Those were the mornings he really loved even though it meant he had to get out of bed a little faster in fear of exploding. The urge to just reach over and touch her was so strong but until now he had managed to keep himself from doing so.

This morning, however, he was being really tested. It had been a very hot night. He didn't know if she had done it on purpose or in her sleep but both the covers and the shirt she had been sleeping in were down on the floor. She was still asleep, lying on her back only in her thong. It was the first time he saw her breasts and he couldn't take his eyes off them.

He quietly moved closer, careful not to make too much movement in the bed so she wouldn't wake up. His head was right in front of one of her breasts. He could literally just stick his tongue out and he would feel her nipple on it. How he wanted to. It was killing him. His dick felt like exploding in his boxers. He blew out his breath to see if she reacted. A small sound escaped from her lips and she turned her head to the side.

He couldn't take it anymore and hurried up from the bed. He left it with such a force that the movement woke her up but he didn't notice.

"Dean?" She mumbled but he didn't hear her.

Shortly after she heard to door to the bathroom close and the water start running.

She got out of bed and got dressed. She walked out of the bedroom and as she passed the bathroom door, she could hear him grunt in there. It was clear what he was doing this morning and she couldn't help but stop and listen. She bit her lip as she heard what sounded like him cumming. Never in a million years had she thought the sound of a man could turn her on but she felt it instantly between her legs. She was getting wet.

She hurried out in the kitchen before it got any worse. This wasn't her. She didn't get turned on by any man. Never had she done so and never would she. However, Dean was different and she had been attracted to him since that morning where she woke up in his home the first time. She just wouldn't tell him. It would ruin the friendship between him and he would probably kick her out. Why would he ever want to be with a woman like her?

He whistled as he joined her in the kitchen a little while later. She looked for any trace in his face to give away what she had just heard him doing but there was nothing. She wondered if he did that every morning. Most mornings he was out of bed and had already showered when she woke up so she had no chance of knowing.

"You seem happy this morning," she said as she tried testing the waters.

He sad down and looked at her.

"I'm always happy," he said before taking an apple from the bowl and biting into it.

A little smirk appeared on her face.

"What?" He asked with his mouth full of apple.  
"You sounded happy too when I passed the door to the bathroom," she said while her smirk grew wider.

He smiled while chewing and swallowing.

"Well, you were flashing the goods this morning. Can't blame me for being a man," he said.

Her face instantly went red when she realized that it probably was her fault.

"God," she mumbled and looked down.

He started chuckling, clearly amused by seeing her embarrassed like that.

"We so need to get you laid soon," she said as she stood up and went to take a shower on her own.  
"Careful where you step out there," he yelled after her.

He laughed as he heard an "eeew" being yelled back.


	13. Sexual frustration

The frustration had been building inside him all day. He couldn't look at her without picturing her the way she had been that morning. In bed, almost naked except for a thong, so close to him yet so far away. Although he had joked about it the same morning, the sexual frustration inside him was growing by the second.

Maybe that was why he did what he did when he dragged her over the barricade. That combined with the irritating feeling of losing for once although he knew before stepping into the ring that would be the outcome of the match. Or maybe it was because it was Miz of all people he had to lose to. Either way, he felt more frustrated than ever.

Miz had left the ring minutes ago and Dean was in the process of dragging Sadie with him as always. No fun and games to make the audience cheer this time around. No licking her cheek, no yelling she was his girl now. Just a face full of anger, playing his role of losing as he was supposed to.

She felt it right away, the way he held on to her arms tighter than normal. A whimper left her lips. She was supposed to act like this but the whimper was very much real. He was hurting her. He noticed the look in her eyes and let go. Instead he swung her over his shoulder and started carrying her out. This was new. He normally just dragged and pushed her but yet here she was, hanging over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

The entire male audience roared as his hand came down on her ass, the smack being heard all over the place. He left his hand there while he continued walking. He was so close to the prize he wanted to collect. He could just push his fingertips inside the thong and do things to her that he had been dreaming about for a while now. Instead he gathered himself, swallowed hard and continued walking out with her.

"What the hell was that all about?" She asked as he put her down backstage.  
"Sorry, I got carried away," he said.

He scratched the back of his head while avoiding eye contact with her.

"I'll say. Seriously Dean, you need to get laid... like right now," she said.  
"I don't think I can argue with that," he said.  
"Come on," she said as she grabbed his hand and led him to the usual couch where they always ended up sitting side by side to the afterparties.

"Okay, pick one. If you're gonna continue being in this mood for one more day, I'm moving out," she said, half joking, half serious.

He scanned the room. He didn't want any of them but he knew she was right. He was sexual frustrated and needed to get that frustration out one way or another and his hand couldn't do the trick for him anymore. His eyes fell on the woman that had the most resemblance with Sadie and he watched her for a few seconds. Sadie's eyes went over to her as well.

"And here I thought you wanted a blonde. Oh well, keys please," she said and reached her hand towards him.  
"No need for that. I'll just do her here and we can go home together," he said.

She watched as he got up and walked towards the woman.

"Did it ever cross your mind that I don't wanna be here while you're fucking someone else?" She mumbled to herself.

She watched him talk to the woman and she felt jealous. Her heart was aching but she kept it within. He sent her a look as he started walking out of the room with the woman and she sent him a fake smile in return. The moment they disappeared together, she got up and walked outside.

"Are we gonna do this or what?" The woman in front of Dean asked.

He hadn't even bothered to ask for her name.

"Just shut up and turn around," he said.

She turned around and placed her palms on the sink. He pushed her down a bit with one hand while trying to work himself up with the other. No matter how much he stroke himself, his dick refused to get hard. The only thing that constantly crossed his mind was Sadie, kissing her, fucking her, having his way with her, and although the woman in front of him had the same haircolour and had his back turned against him, he couldn't fool himself into picturing that it was Sadie.

"Screw this!" He sneered.

He quickly closed his pants and left the woman in the bathroom.

He looked around but she was nowhere to be seen. He had expected her to wait on the couch for him but she had left. Fear flushed through him. Had she hooked up with some other guy? It wasn't like he could forbid her to do so, he just didn't wanna see that happen. Not now, not ever.

"Have you seen Sadie?" He asked Roman.  
"She went outside," Roman answered.

He hurried outside and breathed a sigh in relief as he saw her standing alone, waiting by his car. The relief quickly turned back to frustration mixed with anger. He wanted her, more than he had ever wanted anyone, and seeing her standing there alone in the darkness just waiting for him made it so hard for him not to just grab her and throw her on the hood of his car. He swallowed hard before walking over to her.

"That was quick," she said with a chuckle.  
"Get in," was all she got back in response.  
"Someone's cranky. Was she that bad?" She asked as they both got into the car.

He didn't answer. He just started the car and started driving. They drove back in silence. She noticed how his knuckles almost turned white from how hard he was holding on to the steering wheel.

"I'll sleep on the couch," he mumbled as they got inside the apartment.  
"Okay, stop," she said.

He stopped and looked at her.

"I'm sorry you had a bad fuck but please don't take your frustration out on me," she said.  
"I didn't have a bad fuck. I didn't have any fuck at all," he said.  
"So she was a tease?" She asked.  
"No, I was a tease," he answered.

He turned back around and walked into the livingroom. She followed him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He stopped, trying his best not to turn around. Feeling her hand there, as innocent as it was, he knew that if he turned around, he wouldn't be able to control himself any longer.

"Talk to me, Dean," she said softly.  
"You don't wanna hear what's on my mind," he said.  
"Try me," she said.

Try me. What a strange sentence to come at this point. That's all he wanted to do. Try her. Just once. Just lay her down and find out how she would respond to his touches, how she would feel when he was inside her. Yes, he definately would like to try her.

"Dean?" She asked again and he realized he had been thinking a little too long.

He spun around and looked at her. He wasn't sure what his eyes were portraiting but she started walking backwards and he followed suit as he growled out what was on his mind.

"You're the reason I'm so fucking frustrated. I go to bed every night with you by my side and I wake up every morning like that again and I can never actually touch you or kiss you or do any of the things to you that are always on my mind."  
"Dean, I..." She whispered but she had no clue how to respond to this.  
"What am I supposed to do when all day long I think about kissing you and touching you, how you taste, how you'll move under me if I was allowed to... how you would sound while I'm fucking you," he growled.

She stopped as her back connected with the wall. He leaned down and kissed her neck.

"Tell me how to stop," he said as he placed kisses up her neck towards her ear.  
"I don't know," she whispered.  
"Tell me to stop," he said more firmly as he nibbled on her earlobe.  
"I can't," she said out loud.

He pulled his head out and looked her in the eyes. There was no dead look in them, just pure lust. He twisted a little smile before leaning in to claim her lips in a passionate kiss. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him, allowing him to carry her into the bedroom.

He dumped down on his back with her on top of him. She went to work right away and he just closed his eyes while she freed him of his clothes. She pulled her thong off but left the rest of her clothes on. If he had expecting foreplay, he was in for a surprise. He opened his eyes as he felt her slide down on his dick. He was surprised to see she was still dressed but before he could say anything about it, he was forced to bite his lip to keep himself from screaming in pleasure as she started rolling her hips. Miz sure hadn't been lying. She knew exactly what she was doing.

He felt himself get close too soon and although it was tempting just to allow himself to cum and get all that frustration out of his body, he wouldn't have it this way. Not like this, not this soon, and surely not without her getting anything out of it too. He wasn't a regular customer and he had to prove to her that sex could be so much more. At the last second he grabbed her hips, pushed her off him and down on her back.

She looked up at him confused but he just smirked at her. He undressed her while kissing her and soon he took in the sight of her naked body. He trailed kisses down her stomach and settled himself between her legs. Still a confused look on her face and he wondered if she had ever had a man down there willing to please her.

He slowly ran his tongue up her folds while keeping his eyes on her. She closed her eyes and a low moan escaped her lips. He smiled and did it again. She sounded so cute when she let out those small moans but he wanted more than just that. He stopped his slow teasing and went to work on her clit with his tongue. Her moaning increased quickly and he knew he was on the right track. He kept working his magic on her and pushed two fingers inside her as well just to hear the sounds coming from her grow even louder. She writhered under him and he got drowned in her sounds as he made her cum.

He was pretty sure he was the first man to make her cum and it made him feel proud. He kissed his was back up her stomach until he reached her face again. She was still lying there with her eyes closed, more beautiful than ever with that blissful look on her face. He claimed her mouth again while slowly pushing his dick inside her.

He leaned back out a bit and just watched her as he started thrusting into her. He wanted to see how she would react to everything he did to her. He started out slow as he had every intention of making it last as long as possible but he didn't have enough self control to keep going like that. Little by little he increased the pace. She scratched her nails down his back and he took it as permission to just fuck her senseless, so that's what he did.

He went crazy, biting into her neck, thrusting into her fast and hard, locking his fingers in with hers while he held her hands down, but constantly aware of how she sounded and looked. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, the fire in them burned brighter than ever. He gave her a huge grin before diving back down to assault her neck again. He felt her walls tightening around his dick as he thrust in as hard as he could. She screamed out again and the feeling of her cumming because of what he did to her was more than he could take. He managed to keep thrusting through her orgasm but the second her body started relaxing, he had to let go himself although he just wanted to keep going for hours. She felt so damn good and all he wanted was to hear her scream over and over all night long.

He rolled down and dragged her up on his chest.

"How can you do that?" He asked.  
"What?" She asked back.  
"Make a man cum within a minute when you're on top," he answered.  
"I learned that a long time ago. It's easier when it's done quickly," she said.

He squeezed her tight before placing one hand under her chin to lift up her head so he could look into her eyes.

"Not anymore. Not with me. I intend to make you want it to last forever," he said and smirked.  
"Like you just did," she said and smirked back.


	14. Playtime

He woke up the next morning and heard the water running in the bathroom. He made his way out there and watched her with a smile. Her eyes were closed while the shampoo was being washed out of her hair. The moment the water was clear, he stepped into the shower and wrapped his arms around her. She opened her eyes and smiled at him and he bent down to kiss her.

"You want me to get out of here so you can play with yourself as usual?" She joked.  
"Why don't you do it for me?" He fired back.  
"Gladly," she answered as she wrapped her hand around his dick.

She smirked at him as she started stroking him.

"Just lean back and enjoy it," she said in a low tone.

He leaned back against the tiles and closed his eyes. She nibbled gently on one of his nipples while still stroking him. He whispered her name before leaning down to kiss her again. The feeling of her hand and her lips on him made him cum.

She let go off him and took a step back. His eyes were still closed. He could still taste her on his lips. When he opened his eyes again, she was already out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body.

"Come back here," he pleaded.  
"We can't stand in there all day. You get washed while I make breakfast," she said.  
"But I wanna play too," he pouted.

He heard her chuckle as she left the bathroom. He hurried with his shower. He only had one thing on his mind. No way she was getting out of him having some fun with her too. He quickly dried himself before walking naked out in the kitchen.

"Dean..." she started as she saw him but he didn't give her a chance to finish that sentence.

He walked straight over to her, placed his hands under her ass to lift her up and put her down on her back on the table. His hand went up her dress to find her thong and pull it off her.

"When I say I wanna play, then I get to play," he said in a firm tone, almost like an order.

His fingers went inside her and she immetiately closed her eyes and started moaning. He felt how she got more and more wet by each time he pushed his fingers in.

His dick responded right away and stood straight up. He had to have her right there on the table. He pulled his fingers out and before she could react, he pushed his dick inside her. He lifted her legs up on his shoulders and looked down at her.

"I told you Moxley always got his way," he said.

Her eyes opened and she looked at him.

"But I don't want Moxley. I want you. I want Dean," she said.  
"And you got me but that doesn't mean I can't fuck you like Moxley would have done," he said.

A loud moan escaped her lips and he thrust into her as hard as he could.

"Yeah, just like that," he said in a low tone as he thrust into her again.


	15. Champ

She put the key in the lock and smiled. He had given her a key to his apartment three days earlier but this was the first time she had actually gotten to use it. Weird how such a simple thing as turning a key could make her feel that way. Her stomach bubbled in joy as she unlocked the door and went inside.

A week had gone by since the night they first hooked up and it was safe to say that she had fallen in love with him. Never in a million years had she thought this would ever happen to her. That she would find a man who would accept her past, a man that would accept her, a man she could love and feel loved back by.

Her phone rang and again she smiled. He was really spoiling her. Clothes, a key and even a phone. She answered it with a smile when she saw his name on the display.

"It's your favourite girl," she said.  
"Hey sweetheart, just wanna let you know that training is running late so I won't be able to make it home to get you. Can you make your own way to the arena tonight?" He asked.  
"Yeah, no problem. Nervous?" She asked.  
"A little," he answered.  
"And you still don't wanna tell me whether or not I'll be sleeping with a champion tonight?" She asked.  
"You know I can't do that but I can promise you that you'll be sleeping with me no matter what," he said.  
"I'm gonna hold you to that promise," she said.

A titleshot. He had earned a titleshot and she felt so proud of him no matter what the outcome of the match would be. As she stood there later that evening screaming alongside all the other fans, that was all she felt: pride. He had earned it, he had deserved it.

The match was intense and went on for 20 minutes. He was down and looked like he was out. At the last second he rolled away from the foot that was about to connect with his face. He got to his feet fast, kicked and delivered a DDT. The entire audience rose to their feet and everyone roared as he stood tall as the new champion.

He looked down at her and winked. She was jumping up and down, screaming his name like everyone else. He rolled out of the ring with the belt in one hand while walking over to her. With his free hand he pulled her over the barricade and she got the famous lick up her cheek that she had received so many times before. She was so happy for him that she almost forgot to get into character.

"Tonight this lucky slut will be sleeping with a champion!" He yelled at the audience.

His words immetiately sent her into character. She couldn't be proud of him right now. She tried getting out of his grip but he tightened it around her as he dragged her backstage like so many times before.

"I'm so proud of you," she said once they were backstage.

He still had his arms around her and he squeezed her tight as he bowed his head down to kiss her.

"Now we party but later..." He let the words hang in the air as he slapped her ass and walked away to shower and get changed.

She watched from the couch as he came back. Everyone seemed to flock around him to congratulate him, wrestlers and ring rats. She was alright with it at first. He was celebrating and so he should be. She watched as bottles of whiskey were opened and shots started going down. He was right there downing shot after shot. As the time went on, she started feeling overlooked. It was like she wasn't even there for him in his victorious state.

A shot was being held up in front of her. She looked up to see Miz offering it to her. She took it and he sat down next to her.

"It's just for tonight. He's euphoric right now," he said.  
"And very drunk," she said.  
"I owe you an apology. I was an asshole to you back in the beginning and I'm sorry," he said.  
"Apology accepted," she said as she smiled at him.

She downed her shot and he chuckled at her as he held up the bottle of whiskey and filled the glass again.

"Oh, hell no!" She said as her eyes went back to the crowd.

Dean had his hand on one of the ring rat's ass while he was leaning down to say something into her ear. Miz put his hand on Sadie's shoulder.

"Just remember you're the one he's going home with," he tried.  
"So I should just accept that?" She spat out.

He didn't know what to answer so he just shrugged his shoulders. As she saw Dean squeeze the girl's ass, she got to her feet. The shot of whiskey in her hand was dropped on the floor but she didn't notice as she walked towards them in anger.

"Oh, hey babe," Dean said as he saw her.  
"Babe? Really?" She asked. 

Babe was never a word he had used for her before and she didn't like the sound of it. He kept staring at her with a grin on his face, his hand still on the other girl's ass.

"What's your game plan here, champ?" She asked in a cold tone.  
"I was thinking maybe a threesome. Blondie here seems up for it," he said as his other hand went up to grab one of the girl's boobs. She giggled in return.  
"If you wanna fuck her, just do it, but don't pull me into your drunken mess," Sadie said.

She started walking out. Out in the hallway a hand grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"What the hell is your problem?" He asked.  
"You! You're my problem. I thought we had something but clearly I was wrong," she answered.  
"I'm not allowed to celebrate now?" He asked.  
"Of course you are. Celebrate all you want. Drink and puke together with your buddies. But you're not allowed to fuck some other girl when you're with me," she raised her voice.  
"Oh yeah? And who's gonna stop me?" He challenged.  
"No one apparently since you've just made it very clear to me that you're still single," she said.

She yanked her arm free and stormed out of the place.

Once back at his place she finally let her tears run. She rarely cried but this time she couldn't stop herself. She packed her backpack only with the clothes that was her own before she had known him. Everything he had given her, she left in the closet in the bedroom. She sat the bag down next to the couch before sitting down herself. She dried her eyes. She could disappear like a thief in the night but she wasn't sure that she wanted to leave. She needed to talk to him first. She turned on the radio in an attempt to keep the dark thoughts at bay while waiting for him.

He came back only 30 minutes later. She stood up as she heard him open the door. He came into the livingroom and threw the car keys on the table.

"You drove?" She asked shocked.  
"What?" He asked.  
"You're drunk. You could have killed someone," she said.  
"Shut up for once," he growled.

He made his way towards her, almost like he was stalking a prey, and instinctly she started backing away from him. She stopped once she reached the wall and couldn't get any further. He grinned as he stopped in front of her. His fingers trailed up her bare arms and she got goosebumps.

"I am very disappointed in you," he growled.

His fingers stopped at her upper arms and he grapped on tight to them.

"You're hurting me," she whispered.  
"So?" He asked.

That creepy grin was still on his face as he let go with one of his hands and pushed it up under her skirt. She grabbed on to his wrist and stopped him and she could see the anger in his eyes.

"Dean, please, we need to talk," she pleaded.  
"What? I'm suddenly not good enough for you anymore?" He sneered.

He used more force and tried pushing his hand down her thong. In a moment of panic she slapped him. He took one step backwards but the anger in his eyes turned into fury and hatred. He closed the gap between them again and spoke in a low, degrading voice.

"Take it as the whore you are."

The words got stuck in her throat. The tears were pressing in her eyes again and she put all her strength in keeping them back. No way she would give him the pleasure of seeing her break down. He let out a cold, mean laugh before reaching for his wallet in his pocket.

"So how much do you charge? You can't be worth much. I think I should get a discount since you're living here for free. I'll tell you what, I'll give you 100 dollars for the entire week we've just had together and you better lay down and spread those legs for me in three seconds before I get very mad," he said, still in that degrading voice.

His phone started ringing. She breathed a sigh in releaf as he pulled it out of his pocket. He took a couple of steps away from her and put the 100 dollar bill on the table.

"Just a minute, babe," he said with a fake smile on his face as he walked into the bedroom to take the call.

Her eyes went to the money on the table and then to her backpack. It was now or never. Either she left now or she would never get out.

He came back a couple of minutes later to find her gone. His eyes went to the table. The money was gone but she had left something else. He walked over and saw the key to his apartment and the phone he had given her.

"She'll be back," he growled to himself as he dumped down on the couch and fell asleep to whatever song that was currently playing on the radio.


	16. Trashing the place

Dean woke up in a grumpy mood. He opened his eyes and saw he was on the couch. He got himself up in a sitting position while he tried to remember what had happened last night. He had become the champion, she said she was proud of him, whiskey had went down, a blonde woman, fighting...

"Oh fuck!" He said out loud as it all came back to him all at once.

"Sadie?" He called out loud as he got to his feet.

He started walking towards the bedroom. She would be in there, he would apologize, everything would be fine. Right? She had to be in there.

 _"Take it as the whore you are."_

"Shut up!" He sneered at the memory floating in his mind.

He didn't mean it. It wasn't him talking. It was Moxley. She had to know this. She knew him. He would never have said or done the things he did last night in his right state of mind.

"Sadie..." He said in a low tone as he pushed the door to the bedroom open.

The bed was empty. She wasn't there. He walked over to the closet and looked inside. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her clothes was still there. The relief only lasted for a few seconds when he took a closer look. The clothes he had bought her was still there. The rest was gone along with her old backpack that usually stood in the buttom of the closet.

He took out his phone and called her just to hear her phone start ringing from the livingroom. He hurried back in there to see the phone on the table next to the key to his apartment.

"No," he whispered as he dumped down on the couch again. "You can't be gone."

He buried his face in his hands while silently cursing at himself. Everything seemed so quiet at first until the radio that had been playing since the night before finally reached his mind.

 _A different kind of pain_  
 _Is someone there to hold you_  
 _Is someone there to take you away from me_

That's when he snapped. He screamed out loud while he started trashing the livingroom. Glass was shattered, furniture went flying, everything drowned in his screams and anger. She was gone and he was to blame.

Once his anger fizzled out, he dumped back down on the couch with tears streaming down his face. He took out his phone to call Roman.

"I need your help," he cried down in the phone.  
"I'm on my way," Roman said as he could clearly hear something was wrong.

"Wow, you need a new tv," Roman said as the first thing when he saw the trashed livingroom.  
"There's one in the bedroom. I never use it so it can be put up in here," Dean said.

He was leaned back as far as he could with his eyes glued to the ceiling. The tears had stopped along with every other emotion inside him. He just felt numb. Roman sat down next to him.

"What the hell happened here? Did you let Moxley out to play?" He asked.  
"Last night I did but this in here was all me this morning," Dean answered.  
"Where's Sadie?" Roman asked.  
"Gone," Dean answered.  
"What did you do?" Roman asked.

Dean walked Roman through what had happened without leaving out any detail no matter how much it hurt him to tell the truth.

"Why would you do that? You know better. You know you can't keep the beast down when you drink anything stronger than beer," Roman said.  
"I know," Dean almost yelled.  
"So why did you do it?" Roman asked.  
"I got scared. She told me she was proud of me and in that moment I realized that if it came down to that I had to give up either the championship or her, I would choose her in a heartbeat. That fucking scared me," Dean answered.  
"You love her," Roman said.  
"I'm Dean Ambrose. I don't do love or feelings in general," Dean said.

Roman looked at Dean.

"You... love... her," he said firmly.  
"Fuck!" Dean growled and turned his eyes back to the ceiling. "Yes, I love her and I screwed up everything. She's gone."

For a few minutes they sat in silence until Roman finally got back up.

"Okay, do you have any clue to where she might go?" He asked.  
"Maybe that old lady where we picked up her stuff," Dean answered.  
"Okay, you go there while I clean up this place," Roman said.

Dean looked at his friend.

"You'd do that for me?" He asked.  
"Of course. Now go and see if you can find her. I can fix this mess in here but you're the only one that can fix the mess you left with her," Roman said.

15 minutes later Dean was knocking on the door. The elderly lady he had seen in the window that day opened.

"Yes?" She asked.  
"Is she here? Is Sadie here?" He blurted out fast.  
"Oh, I remember you. You were in the car that day she came to pick up her things," she said.  
"Yes, that's me. Please tell me she's here," he said.  
"I haven't seen her since that day. I thought she was with you," she said.  
"We had a stupid fight last night and now she's gone," he said while looking down, ashamed of what he had done.  
"I haven't seen her, but maybe..." She started before turning her head to yell to the women inside the house. "Paprika!"

A few seconds later a redheaded woman appeared.

"Paprika, this is Sadie's friend. He's looking for her. Maybe you can help him?" She said before walking back inside the house, leaving Dean and Paprika to talk.

"You're the guy who's been keeping her off the streets?" She asked.  
"Yes," he answered.  
"In that case, I like you. What do you need?" She asked.  
"She left last night. Have you seen her?" He asked.  
"No, I haven't. Maybe she's laying low till she's out of cash," she said.  
"She only has around 100 dollars," he said.  
"In that case I'll be seeing her soon, I guess," she said.

He cringed by those words. The last thing he needed to hear was Sadie being back on the streets.

"She didn't come here so she probably slept at that creepy hostel downtown. They don't take names and they rent by the hours. She would be able to fly under the radar there. We only go there as a last solution," she said.

He nodded. He knew the place. Sadie had briefly mentioned it before, especially the part that she was scared shitless everytime she was in there. He didn't think she would be there now.

"Do you know where she would go if she were to go back to the streets?" He asked.  
"Sure. Her and I always share the place by the old bridge. A lot of cars go by there all night long and it's easy to run and hide if the cops show up," she said.

Again he nodded. He knew the place.

"If she gets back out there, I'll tell her you were here looking for her," she said.  
"I'll be coming by the bridge every night to check in with you if that's alright," he said.  
"As long as you keep your distance if I'm with a customer," she said.  
"Of course. And if you see you, please tell her that I'm sorry and I miss her. I want her to come home. And... and I love her," he said.

A little smile appeared on her face.

"Love isn't for women like us," she said.  
"It's not for men like me either and yet here I am," he said.


	17. Back in the game

Sadie dropped to her knees on the cold ground and threw up.

"You alright there, girlfriend?" Paprika asked.  
"Yeah, just a shitty blowjob. I never could stand the taste of cum," Sadie answered.  
"Well, you've been out of the game for about a month. Of course your body's gonna react to the first one. It's not like any of us actually like what we're doing," Paprika said.

Sadie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before getting back up.

"As I was saying before you took off with that man, your friend came by looking for you," Paprika said.  
"He's not my friend and I don't care," Sadie said.  
"Well, you should. He seems to care a whole lot for you. He told me he misses you and that he wants you to come back home," Paprika said.  
"Fuck him," Sadie said.  
"He also said that he loves you," Paprika said.  
"That's a lie. He doesn't love me. He wouldn't have treated me like that if he loved me," Sadie said.  
"What exactly happened?" Paprika asked.  
"It doesn't matter," Sadie answered.  
"Girl, if I had a man like that in my life that kept me off the streets and ran around town to find me, the least I would do was hearing him out," Paprika said.  
"He's no better than any of our customers," Sadie said.

They stopped their conversation as a car pulled up. The man inside looked at Sadie.  
"You free?" He asked.

Dean parked the car and started walking towards the bridge. He wasn't gonna drive all the way there. It would make him look like a customer. Not that it mattered to him but he had to respect Paprika's wishes and if it looked like she was already with a customer, someone might drive by without stopping and she wouldn't earn any money.

His eyes narrowed as he came close enough to see the car and the woman leaning in the open window talking to the driver. Was his eyes deceiving him or was it really her? He started sprinting towards them, screaming out her name, as he realized it was her. She got into the car and a second later it started driving towards him.

He locked eyes with her as they drove past him. All he saw was that dead look in her eyes. He screamed her name one last time but the car didn't stop. He dropped to his knees while watching it disappear down the road. 30 seconds later a hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up to see Paprika.

"Why didn't you stop her?" He asked.  
"It's not my place to do so, nor could I even if I wanted to. She makes her own decisions," she answered.  
"But she shouldn't be doing this again," he said.  
"It's her second one this evening," she said.

He rose to his feet.

"Shut up!" He spat in anger.

She took a step backwards and held her hands up.

"I'm sorry," she said.

He inhaled deeply while containing his anger. He knew it wasn't her fault.

"No, don't be. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you," he said.

He turned his head to look down the road again, just hoping she would come walking back but of course she didn't. He turned back around and looked at the woman in front of him.

"Mind if I wait here till she comes back? I'll hide in the shadows so your customers won't be scared away," he said.  
"Oh honey, I don't think she's coming back. I told her everything you said to me and she said she would find somewhere else to stand," she said.  
"Where?" He asked.  
"I have no idea," she answered.


	18. Coma

9 days had passed without any sign of her. Dean spent each night driving around town searching for her. He made sure to go to the bridge each night as well to hear if Paprika had any update. She never did. Every night he tormented himself when his thoughts wandered to who might be there with her, touching her, doing things to her that no one but him should ever be allowed to. And that dead look of hers was constantly printed into his brain.

Only two things kept him going at this point - wrestling and Roman. Wrestling allowed him to take out all his anger while Roman was the one person in his life that kept him sane.

"You just gotta have faith. We'll find her at some point," Roman said.  
"I hope you're right. Coffee?" Dean asked.  
"Sure," Roman said as he reached for the remote.

Dean got up from the couch and walked out in the kitchen.

"DEAN!"

The giant roar from the livingroom sent shivers down Dean's spine and he ran back to the livingroom as fast as he could. There her face was on the tv screen and she didn't look good. Her eyes were closed and her face was badly bruised.

"Shit..." Dean mumbled by the sight of her.

 _"Police has now released this photo of the woman in hopes of someone out there knowing her. She was found badly beaten with no ID on her."_

"Is she dead?" Dean asked.  
"Ssh!" Roman shushed him.

 _"She's in a coma..."_

"Oh thank god, she's not dead," Dean said.  
"Quiet," Roman said.

 _"If anybody out there know who she is or what happened. please call this number..."_

"Call! Now!" Roman growled.

Roman waited in the car while Dean was inside the police station giving his statement. He was growling in anger when he came back to the car.

"What happened?" Roman asked.  
"I'm a suspect. Apparently it's not normal to be in a relationship with a woman like her. They think I'm her pimp and that I might be the one who beat her up," Dean answered.  
"So what now?" Roman asked.  
"They don't have any evidence to hold me back. They gotta wait till she wakes up and tells them who did it to her," Dean answered.  
"So where are we going now?" Roman asked.  
"To the hospital," Dean answered.  
"Are you allowed to when you're a suspect?" Roman asked.  
"No, but you don't know that so you're taking me," Dean said as his eyes pleaded with Roman. "I gotta see her. Please, Roman."  
Roman nodded and started the car.

Dean was a nervous wreck once they were inside the hospital. Roman planted him in a chair and went to find someone who could give them any information. No one would say anything at first but finally a nurse agreed to. She looked around to see if anyone saw them before allowing Roman to wave Dean over to them.

"She's still in a coma but everything looks good. She should be waking up any time now," she explained.  
"Can I see her? Please, I gotta see her. I've been going out of my mind for over a week now. Just one minute. That's all I ask of. Just one minute to tell her I love her," Dean begged.

Again the nurse looked around to make sure no one heard them before she turned the clipboard in her hands to reveal the information on it to them.

"I can't help it if you accidently see her room number on this clipboard. It's not like I told you willingly. And now if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I really need to use the restroom. It takes about five minutes before I'll be back," she said.  
"Thank you," Dean whispered.

She grabbed his arm and leaned in to his ear.

"Five minutes. I suggest you say what you gotta say quickly. If anyone sees you in there, I can't help you," she whispered.

He nodded and she let go and walked away. They hurried to her room.

"I'll wait out here to keep a look out," Roman said.  
"Thank you," Dean said before hurrying inside.

"Oh sweetheart," he said and swallowed hard to keep the tears from falling when he saw her.

She looked so fragile and broken lying there. He hurried over and sat down on the chair next to the bed, quickly grabbing her hand to squeeze it. He stroke her over her hair and kissed her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart, so fucking sorry. It wasn't me. I never meant what I said and did that night. I love you so fucking much. Loving you scared the shit out of me. I know I'm a coward. Come back to me and I'll prove to you that I can be the man you deserve in your life. Just come back to me, alright?" The words left his mouth so fast.

There was a knock on the door and he turned his head to see Roman. The look in Roman's eyes said that it was time to get out. Dean nodded and got up. He leaned down to say some final words.

"I promise you I'll do whatever I can to keep Moxley down for good, except for when I find out who did this to you. Wake up and tell me who did it and I promise you the son of a bitch is gonna face the wrath of Moxley."

He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

"What now? You wanna go home?" Roman asked.  
"No, I wanna stay here in case she wakes up. You can go home if you want. It's alright," Dean answered.  
"I'm staying with you. Go sit down and I'll see if this place has any decent coffee," Roman said.


	19. Awake

"Dr. Gregor to room 11."  
"That's Sadie's room," Dean said and jumped to his feet.

Roman jumped up just as fast, grabbed Dean and held him back.

"Let me go! I need to see what's going on!" Dean shouted.  
"No, you don't. You know you can't go in there," Roman tried reasoning with him.

The commotion between the two of them quickly caught everyone's attention and soon a couple of security guards appoached them.

"Sir, do we have a problem here?" One of them asked.  
"No, no problem. My friend is just a bit upset," Roman answered.  
"Please, I need to see her!" Dean was still shouting.

The friendly nurse from earlier approached them.

"Ma'am, stand back," one of the security guards said.

She shot him a look before stepping in front of Dean and putting a hand on his arm.

"Look at me," she spoke softly.

Dean looked down at her.

"She's alright. She woke up. The doctor's in there with her right now to check that everything is fine with her. Don't you wanna know that everything is fine?" She asked.  
"Yes," Dean answered in a low voice.  
"You know you can't go in there until the cops have questioned her. They're on their way here as we speak. As soon as I know anything, I'll let you know. I promise. You can trust me," she said.

A tear ran down his face as he nodded. She smiled and turned to face the security guards.

"Everything's fine here," she said.

Roman dragged Dean back to the chairs and they sat down. Dean leaned forward, placing his head in his hands.

"It's alright. She's awake," Roman said and gently patted Dean's shoulder.

Dean looked up just to see two police officers walk past them.

Almost an hour passed before they saw the nurse again. She came walking with a doctor. They stopped and she pointed towards Dean and Roman, sending a smile in their direction before taking off again. The doctor walked over to them.

"Dean Ambrose?" He asked.  
"That's me," Dean said as he stood up.  
"Hi, I'm Dr. Gregor," Gregor said and shook Dean's hand.  
"How is she?" Dean asked.  
"She's hurt but her head is fine. No memory loss or anything," Gregor answered.  
"Well, that's good, right?" Roman asked.  
"Yes, that's very good," Gregor answered.  
"When can I see her?" Dean asked.  
"You can't. I hate to be the one to tell you but she doesn't want to see you," Gregor answered.  
"What? No no no, I need to see her," Dean said.

Roman put his hand on Dean's shoulder.

"What about me? Can I go in there?" He asked.  
"I don't see why not. She only said not to allow a Dean Ambrose in there. But only for a few minutes. It's late and visiting hours are officially over," Gregor answered.  
"Thank you, doctor," Roman said.

Gregor went away and Roman looked at Dean.

"It's alright. I'll go talk to her," he said.  
"Convince her to let me in there," Dean said.  
"I'll try my best," Roman said and walked away.

She looked up as Roman entered the room.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he sat down next to her and took her hand.  
"Like I've been hit by a train," she answered.  
"Who did this to you?" He asked.  
"I don't know. Some guy with brown hair and a red car. It's not like I check their ID or write down their license plates when I go with them," she said in a harsh tone.  
"No need to snap at me. I'm only trying to help," he said.  
"Well, don't," she said.

He took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair, just watching her for a few seconds before starting up the conversation again.

"Dean's been going out of his mind worrying about you. He drove around town every night searching for you," he said.  
"I don't care," she said.  
"I think you do. I also know he hurt you..." He started but she cut him off.  
"You don't know shit!" She spat.  
"But I do. Believe it or not, he actually told me everything that went down that night and you have every right to be mad at him and I do understand why you don't wanna see him," he said.  
"So why are you pleading his case?" She asked.  
"Because he loves you and I think you love him too," he answered.

She didn't answer. She looked up in the ceiling, thinking everything through in her head. She didn't notice that she dug her nails into Roman's skin.

"Look, I'm not gonna make any excuses for him. What he did was a really shitty thing and he deserves your anger. All I'm asking is for you to hear him out. If you still wanna hate him after that, then I promise you I'll do whatever it takes to keep him away from you," he said.

She looked at him again.

"I can't face him right now," she said.  
"Tomorrow?" He asked.

Her eyes lingered on him for a couple of seconds before she finally nodded. He smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Get some sleep. I'll bring him back here tomorrow morning," he said.


	20. One foot in the door

"I can't remember ever being this nervous before," Dean said as they walked into the hospital the next morning.  
"Relax. It'll be fine. Just remember to stay calm no matter what. She doesn't need you to raise your voice or anything," Roman said.  
"I know that," Dean said.

He sighed and stopped, turning his head to look at Roman.

"Do you think she'll forgive me?" He asked.  
"Only one way to find out," Roman answered.  
Dean nodded.  
"I'm gonna go find that cute nurse from yesterday and talk to her while you're in there sorting everything out," Roman said.  
"Only you would try to get a date in a situation like this," Dean said and cracked a little smile.  
"You know me," Roman said and winked.

Dean stopped outside her room. He inhaled deeply before pushing the door open. She sat up in bed, those dead eyes watching him as he stepped inside the room. He hated seeing her like that and he felt guilty about the whole situation. His feet felt heavy but he managed to force them forward towards the bed. He sat down and reached for her hand but she moved it away. He couldn't blame her for not wanting him to touch her.

"Please, don't look at me like that," he said, feeling so small.  
"Like what?" She asked.  
"You always get that dead look in your eyes when you're shutting down on the inside. I hate being the cause of that," he said.  
"You should have thought of that sooner," she said.  
"I know," he said, almost whispering.

He quickly reached forward, grabbing her hand before she could move it again. He didn't care at that point. He just had to touch her. He held on tight with both his hands as he brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry," he said as tears pressed in his eyes.  
"You don't get to do stuff like that and just expect it to go away with an apology," she said.  
"I know that. I'm a coward. I got so fucking scared so I messed up on purpose. I know better than that. I know what tricks my dark side and still I went there," he said.  
"What tricks it?" She asked.

He looked at her but she refused to look at him. Her eyes were glued to the ceiling while she waited for him to respond.

"Whiskey, for one. Well, anything stronger than beer actually. Jealousy mixed with frustration or anger as you saw the day with Miz," he answered.

She slowly nodded, turning his words inside her head as she chewed on her buttom lip.

"So what are you gonna do about it?" She finally asked.  
"I promise you never to touch anything stronger than beer. I actually haven't done that in years. I just got scared so when whiskey was handed out, I chose to fall in deep. I'm the one to blame for all this mess," he said.  
"What are you so afraid of?" She asked.

He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek.

"Look at me," he said softly.

She didn't. Her eyes were still glued to the ceiling. He gently forced her head to the side to face him.

"Please, look at me, Sadie," he said in a firm yet still begging tone.

Her eyes finally landed on him.

"I got scared because I realized I loved you. I've never loved anyone before and feelings in general scares the crap out of me," he said.  
"You don't treat people you love like that," she said.  
"I know. I was an asshole. All I can do from here on is try to earn your forgiveness, one way or another," he said.

He kissed her hand again.

"Yes, that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make you forgive me. I'm gonna get that glow back in your eyes and I'm gonna make you smile again," he said, not sure if he was actually saying it to her or himself.  
"Good luck with that," she said.

He stood up and leaned over her, his face close to hers.

"I am gonna make everything right again. I don't care what you think right now. That's a promise. I'm taking you home with me today and I'm gonna make it up to you," he said, his eyes never leaving hers.  
"I'm not going home with you," she said.  
"Yes, you are. Where else will you go?" He asked.

Her eyes flickered a little while she thought of an answer but she couldn't come up with one.

"Fine. But we're not sharing the bed, we're not together and you don't get to be in my personal space," she said.  
"For now," he added with a little smile.  
"Once I feel better, I'm gonna leave your place," she said.  
"If that's what you need to believe," he said, the little smile still on his face.  
"I'm gonna leave and never look back," she said, her voice starting to tremble.  
"We both know that's a lie," he said.

She was about to argue once again but he put his arms around her and helped her out of bed. Once she was standing, she pushed him away.

"Personal space!" She snapped.  
"I was just helping you out of bed. You better get used to it," he said.  
"Fuck you!" She sneered as she made her way towards the door.

He watched her back for a few seconds, a wide smile spreading across his face. She was walking slowly, clearly in pain. He knew he had one foot in the door. Now he just needed to convince her to open the door all the way and let him back in. He wiped the smile off his face before walking over to her, gently grabbing a hold on her arm to make sure she wouldn't fall.


	21. Naked in the morning

Dean watched as she curled up next to Roman on the couch. He felt hurt inside but he knew he had to take whatever he was getting. At least she was back in his apartment. She refused to look at him though. Her eyes were on the tv but he knew she wasn't watching whatever movie that currently was playing. Like him, she was watching her surroundings, pretending to be occupied by the movie while secretly having her attention on him.

It had been like this all day. Her on the couch next to Roman, Dean in a chair close by. The air had been filled with tension. None of them rarely spoke and all in all it was just so awkward.

"Dean, why don't you order us some food?" Roman asked as the evening was drawing near.  
"Sure thing. What do you want?" Dean asked.  
"Sadie, what would you like?" Roman asked.  
"I don't care," she answered, still not taking her eyes off the tv.  
"Pizza?" Roman asked.  
"Yeah sure, whatever you want," she answered.

Dean ordered pizza for them all but the awkward tension still didn't leave the apartment.

"Alright, I better get going," Roman finally said late in the evening.

She dug her nails into his hand and turned her eyes on him.

"Please, don't leave," she hissed through her teeth.

He saw the look of fear in her eyes. He looked over at Dean and saw the look of hurt in his eyes. He felt caught in the middle and didn't know what to do. Dean just nodded at him.

"I guess I can stay one night," he said.  
"With me," she added.  
"What? No, I'm staying on the couch," he said.

Again she dug her nails into his hand.

"It's alright, Roman. I'll take the couch," Dean said, trying to hide the hurt in his voice but he couldn't.

"So... ehm..." Roman said as he scratched his head while looking at the bed.

Clearly he wasn't comfortable with the situation.

"Relax Roman, I don't wanna cuddle with you. I just don't want him next to me," she said as she laid down.

He took off his pants but kept his shirt on along with his boxers before laying down next to her. He rolled on to his side and looked at her.

"Are you ever gonna give him a chance?" He asked.  
"I honestly don't know," she answered.  
"You should," he said.  
"Would you if you were in my shoes?" She asked.  
"Knowing Dean the way I know him, yes," he answered.  
"But I don't know him like that. I hardly know him at all," she said.  
"I know you've done what no other woman has ever been able to. You've opened his heart. That automatically makes me wanna continue to push you into his arms," he said and smiled.

She sighed and looked up in the ceiling. He reached over and took her hand.

"Look, he's far from perfect. I'll be the first to admit that. But he drove around every night searching for you. That's gotta count for something," he said.  
"I'm not sure it does," she said.  
"I know he hurt you but I refuse to believe it's as bad in here as it is out there," he said.  
"No, you're wrong. It's actually worse in here. I trusted him and he broke that trust. Out there I don't trust anyone. I expect everyone to hurt me and I constantly have my guards up. As tirering as it is, I'm not surprised when I get hurt. I expect it to happen every night and I accepted a long time ago that's the price to pay when you're living on the streets. In here I thought I could relax. I lowered my guards and he took me by complete surprise. That hurt more than anything I've ever experienced," she said.

She let go off his hand.

"Sadie, I..." He started.  
"Save it," she said before rolling over, turning her back against him. "Goodnight Roman."

Roman was still sleeping when she woke up early next morning. She quietly made it out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. Her jaw dropped as she opened the door to the sight of Dean naked, drying himself with a towel.

"Sorry," she mumbled before closing the door.

She started walking away but she didn't get far before he opened the door again.

"Sadie, wait," he said as he walked up to her.

He held the towel around his waist with one hand while his free hand gently grabbed her arm.

"Can we just talk?" He asked.

She nodded and he led her into the livingroom.

"I have something for you," he said.

He walked over to a cabinet and took something out. He walked back to her and placed her phone and the key to his apartment in her hands.

"This belongs to you," he said.  
"I don't want it," she said.  
"But it's yours," he said.  
"Dean, I meant what I said yesterday. I'm not staying longer than I have to," she said.  
"Then just keep it for the time being. I want you to feel at home here," he said.  
"Too late for that," she said in a harsh tone.

He wrapped both his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. The towel dropped to the floor but he didn't notice.

"I don't know how many times I have to say I'm sorry, but I'll keep saying it till you believe me," he said.

She didn't reach her arms around him but she didn't move away either. For a few seconds she just let him hold her like that until she finally broke the silence.

"Dean..." She said.  
"Yes?" He asked.  
"You're naked," she said.

He let go off her and looked down at himself before starting to laugh.

"Will you look at that? I'm sorry about that too," he laughed while bending down to pick up the towel and cover his front with it.

He looked at her and saw her slightly blush.

"Hmm... I'm not sure I'm sorry about that after all," he said and smirked.

The colour in her cheeks grew more red.

"Nope, not sorry at all as a matter of a fact," he said and chuckled.  
"Just go and get dressed and wake up Roman while you're in there," she said and turned around.  
"Sure you don't want a last look?" He chuckled before leaving the livingroom.

"God," she mumbled as she titled her head back and looked up in the ceiling. "This is gonna be harder than I thought."


	22. Talk

She held on tight to Roman as he was hugging her goodbye before leaving for the arena along with Dean that evening.

"Are you gonna come back here afterwards?" She asked.  
"I need to go home. I can't stay here forever," he answered.  
"Please," she whispered.  
"You'll be fine, Sadie," he said.  
"Can't I go home with you instead then?" She asked.

He leaned back out, looked down at her and ran his fingers through her hair.

"He won't hurt you. I promise," he said.

She hung her head and finally let go off him. He walked towards the front door.

"Sadie..." She heard Dean as he approached.

She quickly turned around and walked away from him.

"Just... just keep the door locked. I'll be back soon," he yelled after her as he felt his heart drop.

"She won't look at me or talk to me," Dean said as they walked towards the car.  
"Give her time," Roman said.  
"I'm trying here. I thought we made a small break through this morning," Dean said.  
"What happened?" Roman asked.  
"She walked in on me naked in the bathroom," Dean answered.  
"So walk around naked all day tomorrow if that's what it takes," Roman chuckled.  
"Jeez Roman, I want her to stick around. Not scare her away again," Dean said.  
"Just threaten to chase her down in your naked form if she runs off. That would make anyone stay," Roman said, still chuckling.  
"You're such an idiot," Dean said with a smile.

He skipped the afterparty after the show and came straight home to find her asleep in the bed. He looked at her for a while, just taking in her sleeping form, thinking about all those nights he had been lying there next to her, just holding her tight. He thought about it for a second just to crawl down next to her and hold her close but he knew it wouldn't benefit him in the morning when she woke up. Instead he walked over to her and stole a soft kiss from her lips like he used to do in the beginning when she was sleeping like now.

"Sleep tight, sweetheart," he whispered before walking out of the bedroom.

He was awake, sitting on the couch, watching tv and drinking coffee next morning when she got out of bed. When he saw her, he shut off the tv.

"Come, sit down," he said as he patted his hand on the couch next to him.

She hesitated, shifting the weight from one foot to another.

"It's either that or I'm gonna get naked," he said.  
"What?" She blurted out and looked at him confused.  
"Roman's idea. You don't look to be on board with that. Better sit down then," he said and smiled.

She thought about it for three seconds before finally sitting down next to him. He handed her a cup of coffee.

"Okay, here's how it's gonna go today. We're gonna sit here and lay out all the cards. We're gonna talk about our pasts and everything that has gone down for us in our lives. We're gonna talk about what has led us to this day. We're gonna get it all out. We're gonna cry and laugh, be mad and happy, and when we're done there will be nothing left unsaid between us," he said.

She chewed on her lip and slowly nodded.

"I'm surprised you left me alone in bed last night," she finally spoke.  
"I almost didn't. I just wanted to crawl behind you and hold you close. I did go to the bathroom to relieve the pressure though," he said and smirked.  
"Dean!" She yelled while a little smile showed on her face.  
"I missed that smile so much," he said.

They talked for hours and no stone was left unturned. He made her open up entirely about her past with her abusive father and he opened up about his tragic childhood as well and how his alter ego Moxley had been created and had been allowed to rule his life for years. By the end of it they both had a better grasp of what had led the other to where they were today.

"So where do we go from here?" She asked.  
"I don't know. Where do you wanna go?" He asked.

He took her hand and caressed it.

"I'm not sure," she answered before pulling her hand away from him.

He sighed. He had hoped this conversation would have brought them back together. He was a fool for thinking a bunch of words and truths could fix everything between them.

"I guess... I guess you can start sleeping in the bed again," she finally said.  
"I'd like that very much," he said.  
"But that's all. Sleep and nothing else," she quickly added.

He smiled and nodded. He couldn't agree to it verbally because he knew he would be lying.

"Oh shoot, before I forget. I got you a job," he said, changing the subject quickly.  
"A job?" She asked surprised.  
"Yeah, in a week or two when you're healed and better, you'll be selling tickets for our shows," he said.  
"But..." She started but he cut her off.  
"He's gone. Turns out it's not allowed to sleep with customers and give them a free entrance," he said.

She frowned.

"Don't worry. Your name didn't come up. I went to our boss and told him what he's been doing. Surprisingly he admitted to it right away. Turns out you weren't the only one getting that deal. He did it to two others as well," he said.  
"I don't know what to say," she said.  
"Just say yes. This is good for you. It's a job, a real job. You don't ever have to go back to the streets," he said.  
"But Dean..." She started.  
"You don't owe me anything and even if you end up leaving to go live somewhere else, I won't give you a hard time at work. I can be professional," he said.  
"I still don't know... thank you, I guess," she said.

He smiled at her.

"I would hug you right now if you would allow me," he said.  
"Since when do you ask nicely?" She asked.

He looked at her. There was something deep in her eyes beyond that dead look he couldn't quite figure out, like some sort of challenge. She was right. When did he start to ask nicely? Ever since he realized she was the one he wanted in his life. He twisted a little smile at her before putting his arms around her to hug her. He smiled into her hair as he felt her arms around him too. He could sit like this forever if he had to. This was a small victory and he didn't want the moment to go away again.


	23. Growing close again

A week and a half had passed and things were going good. He did whatever she wanted him to and he didn't pressure her. He was the old Dean she had first met. The man that was always sweet and would joke dirty just to make her blush or laugh. He never tried to move in on her, at least not what she knew of. She didn't know he waited for her to fall asleep every night just so he could move in, put his arm around her waist and feel her close. She didn't know he would steal secret kisses from her in her sleep. It was all he could get but he wanted more.

She woke up to the feeling of an arm around her waist. Normally he would be out of bed when she woke up but this morning he was still there. She had to admit to herself that it felt nice to have him hold her again like that. She opened her eyes and looked directly into his blue eyes.

"Good morning," she said.

He smiled at her and just took in the sight of her for a few seconds.

"It's so hard not to kiss you right now," he said.  
"Dean..." She said as she started to move away from him.

He held on tight and dragged her close again.

"I didn't say I was gonna do it. Just that it's really hard not to," he said.  
"You're not making this easy for me," she said.  
"What's the matter, sweetheart? You want me to kiss you?" He asked and smirked.

She hesitated for a second too long and his smirk turned into a wide grin.

"Just say the word," he said.

She wanted to so bad. They were slowly growing close again but still she was scared. He moved his head close to her so his forehead met hers.

"Just say it and I'll do it. Whatever you want," he said in a low voice.

She gathered all her willpower.

"I need a shower," she said, not as firmly as she wanted to, but she managed to push herself out of his grip.

He rolled over on his back and watched her leave the room. Shortly after he heard the water start running and he chuckled to himself. 

"I almost got you again, sweetheart," he said out in the room.

She tried to act normal through out the day after what had happened that morning. It had been close, too close, and now she didn't know if she could trust her own judgement anymore. He acted like he always did. Joked and had fun. She wondered how he could be so alright with everything.

She was nervous that evening when she left the car and went into the arena with him.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. If anyone tries to give you shit, just scream my name and I'll come running right away," he said as she sat down at the table.  
"Yeah," was all she could answer.

He leaned over the table, placed a finger under her chin and lifted up her head to look her in the eyes. His eyes were glowing and he had a sassy smile on his face.

"And if you wanna scream my name later for some other reason, you let me know," he said.

Her jaw dropped. She heard him chuckle before he kissed her cheek and walked away.

"You got some balls, Dean," she muttered to herself as she watched him walk away.

Selling tickets was easy and she had no trouble at all. She found that she actually enjoyed smalltalking with the fans as they entered one by one. She stayed by the table as the show started. It had been weeks since she had watched a wrestling show and she had missed it. The show ended with a match between Dean and Roman. Dean was still champion and she felt proud of him all over again. She had forgotten how good he was in the ring. He belonged in there. Watching him and Roman go at it like that brought a smile on her face.

She found her way backstage where she was greeted by Alexa right away. Shortly after Miz came by to greet her too. She hugged him and saw Dean's eyes land on them as they did. Instinctly she felt scared and took a step away from Miz. Dean walked over to her and looked at her with soft eyes.

"Don't be scared. I told you I've worked with myself and I know you would never do anything to upset me on purpose," he said.  
"I'm sorry, I can't help it," she said.  
"I know it's my fault but trust me, it's alright," he said as he dragged her in for a hug.

He held her tight for a few seconds.

"You wanna go home?" He asked down in her hair.

She pulled away from him and looked up at him.

"No, this is your night. You should stay and have fun," she answered.  
"I don't care about this. I care about you. So I'm asking you again. Do you wanna go home?" He said.  
"Yes," she answered.

She was tired as she laid down in bed. He moved in close and put his arm around her and kissed the back of her head. She stiffened by his sudden touch.

"Relax," he whispered.

He planted another kiss on the back of her head and felt her body starting to relax.

"I'm gonna be honest with you and I hope you won't get mad. Each night I've waited for you to fall asleep just so I could hold you close like now without you knowing," he admitted.

She didn't answer.

"Are you mad?" He asked.  
"No," she said in a low tone.  
"Good, good," he said and gave her a little squeeze. "Goodnight, sweetheart."


	24. Losing everything

"I need to talk to you," she said.

He looked up from his book.

"Alexa called," she continued.  
"Yeah?" He waited for her to get to the point.  
"She... ehm... she found this three bedroom apartment and asked me to move in with her," she said.

He felt his heart drop.

"And what did you say?" He asked, scared to hear her answer.  
"I said I'd get back to her after talking to you," she answered.

He closed the book and put it on the table. He looked down at his hands. He couldn't look at her in that moment as he fought to keep the tears away. She sat down next to him.

"Don't be like that, Dean. You knew this was only temporary," she said.

She reached for his hand but instead he grabbed her and dragged her in for a hug.

"I'm really losing you, aren't I?" He asked.  
"We can still be friends and we'll still see each other at work," she said.  
"Work, right. That reminds me, I gotta make a phone call," he said and let go off her.  
She fought back the urge to reach for him as he walked out of the room with his phone in his hand.

The mood and the tension between them was weird through out the day. She had expected him to be angry but he just seemed sad although he tried his best to hide it. He seemed to accept her choice although she could see in his eyes that he was hurting. She was hurting too. Alexa's idea had sounded good but the moment she had told him, the hurt had set in. She didn't think she would feel this way. She thought it would be more easy after everything they had been through but it was tough.

"What's wrong with Dean today?" Roman asked later that night at work before the doors opened.  
"What do you mean?" She asked.  
"He doesn't seem himself. Hell, he even called in earlier and..." He started but stopped himself.  
"And what?" She asked.  
"Nothing. I'm not allowed to talk about it. All I know is that he's not himself," he said.  
"I think that's a conversation you should have with him instead," she said.  
"I tried. I called him after our boss called me but he refuses to talk about it. Classic him," he said.

She shrugged her shoulders. She could tell him about Alexa asking her to move in with her but she didn't feel like it was her place to rat out Dean like that. If he wanted to play tough guy at work and hide his feelings, so be it.

The main event this evening was Dean and Roman again, only this time it was over Dean's title. She watched, stunned at how well the two friends worked together inside the ring. They clearly had a lot of chemistry.

"1... 2... 3..."

A sound of shock went through the entire audience as Roman pinned Dean. Her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what had just happened. As she watched Roman hold the title over his head, it suddenly dawned on her. Dean's phone call earlier, Roman hinting something he wasn't allowed to talk about. She left the table and hurried backstage.

She looked for Dean but he had already gone to the locker room to shower and change. She waited in the hallway for him to get done and come out. His eyes were sad as he came out and saw her waiting there.

"Dean..." She said as she reached for his hand.  
"Not here," was all she got in return as he walked past her.

She followed him outside to his car. They drove home in silence.

He had barely closed the door behind them before she started talking.

"That wasn't supposed to happen, was it?" She asked.  
"What was?" He asked.  
"You losing the title. You made that phone call earlier to arrange that, didn't you?" She asked.

He sighed and leaned his back up against the front door.

"I did," he admitted.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"Because I needed to feel what you felt that day when I fucked everything up," he answered.  
"I don't understand," she said.

He pushed himself away from the door and started walking down the hallway. She followed behind him while he continued talking.

"That day I was scared of loving you. Today I'm just scared of losing you and that's exactly what's happening now that you're moving out. I figured that I need to hit the dirt completely, lose everything I care about, you and the title, just to see if I can truly stay above water and not allow my dark side to show," he said.  
"Why would you even do that?" She asked.

He spun around and grabbed her shoulders.

"Because I love you so much and I have to prove to you that I can keep the beast down. And besides, without you in my life, nothing else matters these days. Wrestling doesn't matter anymore," he said.  
"Don't say that," she said.

He sighed and let go off her.

"I know I have to let you go and I will but I don't want to," he said.

She swallowed.

"Then don't," she said in a low tone, almost whispering.  
"You don't know what you're saying right now. You're scared I might blow up any time so you're just covering your ass," he said.  
"I see the man standing in front of me as the man you truly are. That's the man I first fell in love with. You want me to stay, all you have to do is ask. But I'm warning you, you only get one chance with me. If you fuck up again, I'll be gone for good," she said.

He looked at her as if he didn't believe her. She waited for him to talk or act but he just stood there.

"Fine. I'll call Alexa in the morning and tell her I'll move in with her," she said as she felt her heart sink in her chest.

She turned around and walked into the bedroom. She only made it a few steps inside before his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Stay," he said.  
"Are you asking or demanding?" She asked.  
"I'm begging. I won't throw away my only chance. I'll be the man you deserve and so much more. Please, stay with me," he said.

She turned around and looked up at him.

"On one condition," she said.  
"Anything," he said.  
"You win your title back in the rematch," she said and smiled.

He chuckled and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as she allowed him to kiss her.

"Of course, sweetheart, but first..." He said as he laid her down on the bed, settling himself on top of her. "First we got a whole lot of time to make up for."


End file.
